- A White House investigation found that Eric Lander mistreated his subordinates, per Politico.
- The review found that Lander spoke "harshly and disrespectfully to colleagues in front of other colleagues."
- Lander emailed an apology to staffers, saying he did not "live up" to setting a respectful tone.
An internal White House review found that Eric Lander, President Joe Biden's top science advisor, mistreated his subordinates and ran afoul of the president's workplace policy, according to a Politico report.
The two-month review — which was initiated by workplace complaints — uncovered evidence that Lander, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, bullied staffers and exhibited disrespectful behavior to workers.
Christian Peele, the White House deputy director of management and administration for personnel, said the review found "credible evidence of disrespectful interactions with staff by Dr. Lander and OSTP leadership," per a briefing contained on an audio recording that was obtained by Politico.
In the briefing, Politico reported, Peele also revealed that there was "credible evidence" that Lander had communicated "harshly and disrespectfully to colleagues in front of other colleagues.
"The investigation found credible evidence of instances of multiple women having complained to other staff about negative interactions with Dr. Lander, where he spoke to them in a demeaning or abrasive way in front of other staff," Peele said, according to Politico.
The White House plans to keep Lander in his position after he receives counseling, according to the Associated Press.
Lander's conduct puts him in direct conflict with Biden's commitment to fostering a positive work environment throughout his administration.
When he entered the White House last year, the president said that he was looking for "honesty and decency" from everyone in the administration, and pledged to dismiss disrespectful staffers "on the spot," with "no ifs, ands or buts."
Lander on Friday apologized for his behavior in a lengthy email, which was first reported by Politico.
"I am deeply sorry for my conduct. I especially want to apologize to those of you who I treated poorly or were present at the time," Lander wrote.
He continued: "It's my responsibility to set a respectful tone for our community. It's clear that I have not lived up to this responsibility. I have spoken to colleagues within OSTP in a disrespectful or demeaning way."
Insider has reached out to the White House for comment.