It was revealed yesterday that Obama trade representative Michael Froman, who took it upon himself to intervene in the referendum debate to warn against Brexit, was previously paid by the EU. Froman worked as part of the European Commission’s Forward Studies Unit, a department tasked with monitoring and evaluating European integration. The cosy relationship doesn’t end there…

Not only did Froman work for Brussels, his wife Nancy Goodman did as well. She took on a post at the Directorate General For Competition, which is also part of the European Commission. Froman confirmed the pair’s conflicting interests in a speech to Brussels in 2013:

It is nice to be back in Brussels, and I am particularly pleased to make this city my first stop in Europe as U.S. Trade Representative. It doesn’t seem like that long ago when my wife Nancy and I were camped out in the lobby of the Berlaymont, phone directory in hand, cold-calling offices in hope of finding someone to take us on as stagiaires [Commission trainees]. After a few days and some persuasion, my wife found a position in DG Competition [Directorate General For Competition] and I found one in the Forward Studies Unit, the predecessor to today’s Bureau of European Policy Advisers.

So not only was Obama’s Brexit-bashing trade rep in the pay of Brussels, his wife was too…