New Ebola czar Ron Klain was not in attendance at a White House meeting of the Ebola response team on Saturday night, the second powwow he’s missed since the appointment was announced on Friday.
After a day of golfing, President Barack Obama convened a meeting with the task force to apprise him of any developments in the treatment of the two domestic Ebola cases and to discuss emergency preparedness nationwide, according to a White House pool report. Attendees included Vice President Joe Biden, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention director Tom Frieden, several cabinet members and other White House aides. Klain was not there.
Newly-named Ebola Response Coordinator Ron Klain did not attend the WH meeting. He starts his new job next week, says WH.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) October 19, 2014
The longtime Democratic operative apparently was at the White House Saturday, but he was “clearing paperwork,” according to USA Today reporter Gregory Korte. Klain will reportedly start his new gig next week.
Klain has not yet officially started — he’s “clearing paperwork” — but hopes to start next week, White House says.
— Gregory Korte (@gregorykorte) October 19, 2014
Klain was also not present at a Friday meeting of the Ebola response team. That meeting included many of the same participants.
Klain, whose official title is Ebola Response Coordinator, has worked in both the Clinton and Obama White House’s.