President Joe Biden’s special climate envoy John Kerry is preparing to leave the Biden administration after next month’s COP27 summit according to Axios.
The report says Kerry has been talking to friends and colleagues about how to stay involved in climate work from the private sector.
“I can’t stress enough: Secretary Kerry has no plans to depart, and his sole focus is COP27, period, and anything else is baseless speculation,” said Kerry spokesperson Whitney Smith. Axios reports that Kerry is considering the move because he does not want to deal with Republican investigations after the midterms.
They also reported Kerry, while wealthy through marriage, wants to add to his own fortune and could be eyeing a huge corporate payout.
New from @HansNichols: “John Kerry is actively considering leaving the Biden administration after next month's COP27 summit, soliciting advice from friends and colleagues on how to stay involved in climate efforts from the private sector” https://t.co/ox9lWDcIYH
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) October 28, 2022
According to Axios:
“Kerry is motivated to leave for several reasons.
“He doesn’t relish being hauled before his former colleagues in a potentially Republican-controlled Senate or House to defend his approach to lowering carbon emissions — including his family’s private jet.
“For government trips, Kerry flies commercial.
“While Kerry enjoys a wealthy lifestyle from his wife’s fortune, he is interested in returning to the private sector to increase his own personal net worth.
“(Before entering the administration, Kerry drew a $5 million salary from Bank of America.)
“And he’s hinted to colleagues that he has achieved all that can be reasonably accomplished in the current political environment — both domestically and internationally.”
SCOOP: Special climate envoy John Kerry is actively considering leaving the Biden administration after next month's COP27 summit. https://t.co/1BJ05CdXlZ
— Axios (@axios) October 28, 2022
John Kerry is “actively considering” departing the White House in the near future, Axios reported Thursday evening. https://t.co/KKzzHkTpGE
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 28, 2022
