Should White House Employees Keep Bonuses?

(By Charlie Savage, The New York Times) - The hot-button issue of year-end bonuses from firms that took bailout money may not just be a headache for Wall Street. It could also become a White House problem.

Several members of the Obama administration worked for financial companies that received bailout funds, raising the question of whether they should keep any bonus they received.

At least three members of the still-growing team of political appointees, for example, worked at Citigroup and were eligible for year-end bonuses. One of the former Citigroup executives, Michael Froman, the deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, has decided to give his bonus to charity. The White House declined to provide specific details on what the other two — the deputy Secretary of State, Jacob J. Lew, and David A. Lipton, the White House’s senior director for international economics — will do.