Former president Barack Obama is tapping as the head of his charity’s "Girls Opportunity Alliance" a disgraced Democratic operative and "women's rights" activist who helped former governor Andrew Cuomo (D., N.Y.) smear his sexual harassment victims.
Tina Tchen, a former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, will serve as the Obama Foundation’s chief strategy and impact officer, the charity said. The appointment comes months after Tchen resigned in disgrace from the feminist group Time’s Up for helping Cuomo during his sex scandal. Tchen reportedly advised Cuomo’s team on an op-ed that would discredit one of his accusers, Lindsey Boylan, and demanded Time’s Up staffers "stand down" from issuing statements in support of Boylan. Tchen intervened in a similar manner to protect Joe Biden against sexual assault allegations during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Tchen’s involvement in those scandals makes her a questionable pick to lead the Obama Foundation’s efforts to "empower adolescent girls around the world." Valerie Jarrett, the foundation’s CEO and a longtime Obama crony, called Tchen an "accomplished lawyer" and "advocate for gender equality."
"The Obama Foundation claims she’ll be fighting for women, but a lot of women in Andrew Cuomo’s office know that’s unlikely," said Scott Walter, president of Capital Research Center. "Tchen’s career shows she fights for political friends and against political enemies, regardless of sex."
Tchen is the latest controversial hire for the Obama Foundation. Former Minneapolis council member Phillipe Cunningham, a supporter of the movement to defund police, joined the foundation last month as deputy director for "global leadership programs."