White House staff joined call with Paul Whelan's sister after she ripped Biden administration
CNN
White House staff joined a call with Elizabeth Whelan on Wednesday to discuss her brother Paul Whelan's detainment in Russia after she told CNN she was furious that President Joe Biden had not spoken with her family.
Elizabeth Whelan's comments to CNN came after the White House released a readout of a phone call Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held with Cherelle Griner, the wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, the American basketball star who is also being held in Russia. Whelan said she was angry that her brother's case was not receiving the same level of attention from the White House.
Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby said Thursday that the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs holds a bi-weekly call with her to provide updates on her brother's status, and that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan had spoken directly with Elizabeth Whelan.
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