President Biden’s younger brother Frank Biden promoted his relationship with the president in an advertisement for a law firm published on Inauguration Day.
Frank Biden, listed as a non-attorney senior adviser for Berman Law Group in Boca Raton, Fla., was featured in the firm’s ad in the Daily Business Review along with quotes describing his relationship with the new president and their family name, CNBC reported.
The ad described the law firm’s class-action lawsuit against a group of sugar cane growers in the Sunshine State, saying both Biden brothers “have long held a commitment to pushing environmental issues to the forefront.”
“My brother is a model for how to go about doing this work,” Frank Biden said in the ad, according to CNBC. “One of his central tenets is that one should never question another man’s or woman’s motives or assign blame to them. That way, you avoid creating a disparity that prevents any kind of coming together. You can of course question someone’s judgment, and that’s what we’re doing by bringing this to court.”
The ad reportedly implies that Frank Biden was brought in because of the “Biden reputation for and motivation to engage in philanthropic, social and environmental issues that presented themselves.”
Along with the quotes, the ad included toll-free phone numbers for the law firm, as well as Frank Biden’s and the firm’s founders’ contact information.
Berman Law Group and the White House did not immediately return The Hill’s request for comment.
Frank Biden told CNBC in a statement that he has not used his relation to his brother to take on new clients.
“I have never used my brother to obtain clients for my firm. Our firm has long been involved [with] this lawsuit. Social justice is something I have been involved in for years,” Frank Biden said. “I will never be employed by any lobbyist or lobbying firm.”
Matthew Moore, one of the law firm’s attorneys, told the news outlet in a statement that the younger Biden has been with the firm “for years.”
“He is a champion for social justice, advocating against corporate behemoths that prey on the little guy,” Moore said in an email. “The big sugar case has been around for more than 2 years and is the poster child for corporate influence. We are honored to have Frank Biden stand with us as leaders for social justice.”
After CNBC published its story, a White House official told the outlet that the president’s name should not be included in commercial activities “to suggest, or in any way that could reasonably understood to imply, his endorsement or support.”
Frank Biden’s biography on the law firm’s website says he worked as a director of legislative and congressional affairs under the Clinton Administration and helped with President Biden’s and the late Beau Biden’s campaigns.
Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president last week after being involved with American politics for decades, including as vice president under former President Obama.