Biden turned down $100,000 to speak at University of Utah
Jan 2, 2019, 9:32 AM
Former Vice President Joe Biden takes the stage at Kingsbury Hall on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
(Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Former Vice President, Joe Biden, says he is very careful about how he raises money; using taxpayer money isn’t one of the ways he wants to do it, according to the New York Times.
The former senator from Delaware refused to take his $100,000 fee to speak at the University of Utah last month after his aides found out that the university planned on paying the fee in state funds.
The New York Times reports Biden is mindful of the criticism Hillary Clinton received during the 2016 presidential campaign by speaking for private interest groups, so his team won’t book speaking events for advocacy or foreign groups.
The contract for the former vice president included being flown in by private jet and purchasing 1,000 copies of his latest book to give to audience members.
His team has a policy against accepting taxpayer dollars for appearances, which is adding speculation to the possibility of Biden running for President in 2020.
