Axios
Biden’s lawyers remind Kamala Harris’s niece that she can’t profit from her aunt’s name
The lawyers for Biden’s transition team reminded Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s niece, Meena, that she cannot profit from her famous aunt’s image after she revealed a collaboration between her company and Beats By Dre. Why it matters: After the Republican attacks, President-elect Joe Biden promised that neither his family nor Harris’s would profit from his services as president and vice president. Be smart: subscribe for FREE to America’s most influential newsletter. * Although Meena Harris did nothing illegal, it underscored the challenge of keeping relatives in line and adhering to the highest ethical standards the new administration promised. The background: the specially selected products come in a black box and include a black sweatshirt printed with the word AMBITIOUS on the front; a Bluetooth speaker with the word PHENOMENAL; and the headphones. * Ambitious refers to criticism made by some of Harris – who was a first-term senator – when Biden assessed a variety of candidates to be his running mate. * Phenomenal is a women-driven lifestyle brand of which Meena Harris is CEO. The spine that connects the two headphones reads, “The First But Not The Last”, an apparent reference to Kamala Harris becoming the first female vice president. * Although the products are not for sale, they were presented to influencers and celebrities before opening. The team surrounding the new vice president has not been given advance notice of the collaboration, people familiar with the situation told Axios. The lawyers followed up and told Meena Harris that she – like everyone else – cannot profit from Harris’ image or likeness after becoming vice president. * Meena Harris’s team did not respond to a request for comment. * Meena is the daughter of Kamala Harris’ sister, Maya. Between the lines: The outlook for Meena Harris’ commercial ventures is especially challenging after Democrats spent four years criticizing deals involving President Trump and his children, and after Biden’s public promise to avoid any influence peddling. * “My son, my family will not be involved in any business, any company that is in conflict or appears to be in conflict,” he said last year. * In December, lawyers for the presidential transition team began “drafting new rules for the Biden White House that are likely to be more restrictive than the rules that governed the Obama administration,” according to the Washington Post. In short: Phenomenal has sold several other Kamala Harris-inspired items since Biden announced her as his running mate. * They include a sweatshirt with “MVP” representing “Madam Vice President” and another with the phrase “I’m talking” on the front – a nod to the moment when Kamala Harris complained about being interrupted during an addiction – presidential debate. * After Kamala Harris received the “too ambitious” review, her niece created and sold a pink sweatshirt with “AMBITIOUS” written on the front. * “I see her as another figure in history and someone to be celebrated,” she said of her aunt during an interview with the New York Times. Get smarter, faster with the news that CEOs, entrepreneurs and politicians read. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here.