(The Hill) -- President Joe Biden has asked Republican Senate candidates Herschel Walker and Mehmet Oz to quit their positions on a presidential council or be removed.
In a post on Wednesday, Oz, who is a candidate in Pennsylvania, said the administration sent him a letter requesting he resign from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.
A letter from the administration was shown in a video Oz released on the situation. The letter stated Oz needed to resign or he would be ousted at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
“It’s sad that he would politicize such an important issue like health. The doctor he should ask to resign is Dr. Fauci, for a multitude of obvious reasons,” Oz said in the caption of the video, referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert.
A similar letter was also sent to Walker, who is running in Georgia, CNN reported.
A White House official said it is the administration’s policy not to let those running for federal office be on presidential boards.
The two candidates were nominated to the council under former President Donald Trump in 2018.
“Clearly, Joe Biden can’t be around anyone who doesn’t completely fall in line with his fear-mongering authoritarian one-size-fits-all COVID handling. I am proud of my service and will not resign,” Oz said in his video.
According to CNN, individuals on the Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition are considered special government employees who are barred from partisan elections under the Hatch Act.
The Hill has reached out to Walker’s campaign and the White House for comment.
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