HIV/Aids adviser says panel's sudden firing by Trump 'feels like retribution'
Donald Trump has fired the remaining members of his advisory panel on HIV and Aids, abruptly and without full explanation and drawing accusations that he is retaliating against activists and experts who oppose his healthcare agenda.
The White House has countered that such moves are typical when one administration takes over from another.
The presidential advisory council on HIV and Aids, known as Pacha, is a diverse team of experts from across the US that was set up under Bill Clinton. It volunteers advice to the White House and government agencies on all aspects of HIV and Aids prevention, research, activism and community care and outreach.
Six members of the panel resigned in the summer, protesting what they saw as a lack of support from the Trump administration and accusing the White House of not caring about the issue.
On Wednesday, the remaining members of the panel received letters informing them they were being terminated. Some had more than a year left on their contracts.
The White House said it was a routine move, a step towards changing the guard from members appointed by Barack Obama. But some panel members were left surprised, bruised and suspicious.
“I had recently been re-sworn in through 2018, so why now?,” said Gabriel Maldonado, one of the fired advisers, who is chief executive of TruEvolution, a California group that works for the elimination of HIV and Aids and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
“The timing feels awkward.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hiv-aids-adviser-says-panels-sudden-firing-by-trump-feels-like-retribution/ar-BBHvZu8?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=edgsp
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