A consulting firm run by a top Biden campaign official is receiving $35 million from California for a voter outreach program linked to the state’s coronavirus response.
The state awarded Democratic public relations giant SKDKnickerbocker the lucrative deal as part of the state’s “Vote Safe California” program on Aug. 13. The program aims to “educate the public on the safety, security, and ease of voting in the November General Election amid the COVID-19 pandemic” and was launched following Democratic governor Gavin Newsom’s May decision to send every registered voter in the state a mail-in ballot. The $35 million comes in addition to the $2.1 million SKDK has collected from the Biden campaign since June 2019.
According to documents obtained by the Sacramento Bee, the contract asks SKDK to give “special attention” to “reaching first-time mail voters,” as well as those with language barriers. The state’s contract approval process was expedited for the November election.
SKDK has close ties to former president Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The firm’s managing director, Anita Dunn, previously served as Obama’s White House communications director and is now leading Biden’s presidential campaign. SKDK’s political consulting webpage says it is “proud to be a part of Team Biden” and touts previous campaign work with former president Bill Clinton, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and disgraced former congresswoman Katie Hill (D., Calif.), among other Democrats. – READ MORE
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