US President Joe Biden’s lawyers have warned Vice-President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris against using her aunt’s identity to promote her business ventures.
“Some things cannot be undone… That being said, this behaviour needs to change!” a Los Angeles Times report quoted members of the White House legal team as saying.
Meena Harris, 36, who is an entrepreneur, a lawyer, and an author, has used references of US Vice-President Kamala Harris in one of her books and her clothing line ‘Phenomenal Woman’.
The cover of Meena Harris’ children’s book titled Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea used not only her aunt’s name but also her face. She also sold sweaters with “Vice President Aunty” imprinted on the front and swimsuits inspired by Kamala Harris.
While such promotional activities were fine until a few months ago, the transition team’s ethics lawyers have told Meena Harris not to use the Vice-President’s likeness to build her personal brands anymore.
The lawyers have allowed Kamala Harris’ niece to sell out the products but not restock them.
Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for the Vice-President, said: “It is the White House’s policy that the Vice-President’s name should not be used in connection with any commercial activities that could reasonably be understood to imply an endorsement or support.”
Meena Harris has said she will uphold all legal and ethical standards and informed that she already had plans to “remove the likeness of the Vice-President from the website before the Inauguration, and refrain from using her likeness in any products or campaigns going forward”.