The Advisors: Part 3 - The Lawyers and the Corporate Connectors

The third deep dive on the people behind Kamala Harris

Oct 17, 2024

This is an ongoing research project examining the consultants involved with Kamala Harris, her campaign and the 2024 DNC Convention. The catalyst for this project was the NYT article which provided the majority of names for the people discussed on Episode 46 of Saturdays with Renee on Black Liberation Media.

The above graphic is a revised version of the one provided by the NYT. This graphic includes pictures of all the advisors discovered, including people who were not named in the article. The dataset used to create the graphic for this series can be found here.

Read Part 1: Precision Strategies

Read Part 2: Cop Connections, Cop Protectors and Cop City Builders

Part 3 - The Lawyers and The Corporate Connectors

The Harris/Walz campaign recently released its economic policy plan which has a heavy focus on the middle class. According to the kamalaharris.com website, “Vice President Harris grew up in a middle class home as the daughter of a working mom. She believes that when the middle class is strong, America is strong.” Thus, her lived experience is the reason given for the Harris campaign focus on just over 50% of the households in the country.

Voters should take some time to consider both the people and corporations who are associated with the campaign via her advisors - and then note that none likely have any vested interest in improving the material conditions of most working people, including those in the “middle class.” The complicated and incestuous nature of these connections must be examined, as the role of money and power within politics is not something that should be dismissed.

The Lawyers

Prior to running for US Senate in 2016, Kamala Harris worked for both the Alameda and the San Francisco District Attorney’s office. The latter is where she eventually unseated her boss, Terence Hallinan, for the top spot. Harris held that title until she was elected as the California Attorney General in 2011, where she remained until her senate win. This means for Harris’ entire career as an attorney, she played a prosecutorial role, one which she totes as the “noblest profession.”

Given that fact, it is not surprising that one-third of her advisors are of the same profession. That three of those advisors (Millison, Lucius and Hsu) either previously, or currently, work for Jenner and Block which was featured for its top 100 2024 financial results, is worth mention. As this recognition was earned due to a gross revenue of $582 million, with equity partners each profiting a whopping $2.3 million, further examination was required.

The research exposes a law firm with a lengthy list of industry clients and issues that are profitable, but will have the least positive impact on the lives of working people. These include, but are not not limited to, defense, trade, fintech, real estate, and hedge, investment, and private equity firms. Jenner and Block also appears to work both for and against government regulation, boasting an abundance of attorneys who are “former officials from key government entities,” likening them to the revolving door recognized in many lobbying groups.

Jenner and Block is not the only big law firm represented amongst the Harris advisors. There is also Sidley Austin, multiple people who worked for the Department of Justice over their careers, and Paul, Weiss. Chairman of Paul, Weiss, Paul Karp, has already endorsed Harris, likely at the suggestion of Karen Dunn. Dunn is the firm’s co-chair of the litigation department, and has been heralded for representing Apple, Uber and Jeff Bezos.

It is worth stating, this focus on attorneys is not about the career. It is about the connections of these attorneys/advisors via the cases and clients with which they are involved.

The Corporate Connectors

The advisors are also associated with a dizzying array of corporations either as employees or attorneys. These associations include Lyft, Gates Ventures and Chan Zuckerburg, all with whom O’Malley Dillon consulted. Also the multi-billion dollar Uber where three advisors, Butler, Plouffe and West, are all associated, with the latter two provide(d) legal counsel.

Blackrock, is where advisor Deese previously worked and Pyle was recently rehired last month. The investment firm, as of July 2024, reported holdings totaling $10.65 trillion. Blackrock has been linked to a number of questionable industries, but has also quietly funded electoral politics since 2010. They evenly distribute funds to both Democratic and Republican candidates in order to ensure lobbying efforts are well-received no matter which party has a controlling majority in Congress. The 2023 list of supported politicians include names like Kristen Sinema who became a meme when she voted thumbs down for a $15 minimum wage, and Catherine Cortez Masto, another Harris advisor, who is currently supporting the building of a cop city in Nevada.

Fannie Mae, employed Voles as Senior VP of Communications for one year during their high risk mortgage fraud scandal. It is difficult to confirm her level of participation, but the timeframe during which executives made false and misleading statements in order to profit off the fraud is specified in the 2011 SEC charges matches the year noted for her employment. Voles quickly moved into a role with GWU, where she remained until signing on with the vice president’s office.

Voles also served as an independent consultant for Emily’s list, where Maya Harris is on leave as a member of the board, and Butler previously served as president. Maya Harris also lists the Ford Foundation on her resume, the philanthropic arm of the Ford Motor Company which currently employs Millison. Side note: Ford’s former CEO, Alan Mulally, who was not tenured with either Harris or Millison has also endorsed Harris’ campaign.

A deeper look at the corporate endorsements

An endorsement letter was published well over one month ago, with signatures from over 90 “business leaders.” The letter does not make note of the billionaire donor, and signatory, who openly discussed ending efforts to prevent corporate monopolies. It is also unknown which signatories beyond the CEO of VISA were hosted at the CEO gathering at Harris’ residence.

“She will continue to advance fair and predictable policies that support the rule of law, stability, and a sound business environment, and she will strive to give every American the opportunity to pursue the American dream.”
- Taken from the above mentioned endorsement letter

Signatories also include Lyft co-founder, Logan Green who is noted as a client of O’Malley Dillon’s Precision Strategies, and was likely connected to Butler when she supported Uber in their dual battle against drivers. Signatory and former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, was the person Tony West reported to directly during his tenure at the company.

Research also uncovered a 2017 story in the New York Times about a private dinner in Bridgehampton, NY for executives and their spouses with Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. The ultimate goal of the dinner, which does not appear to have come to fruition, was to initiate a Super PAC. Seven years later many of the major players mentioned in the article, including Ken Chenault, Tony Coles, Charles Phillips, Melvin Lewis Jr., and Raymond McGuire are all listed as signatories on that endorsement letter.

McGuire, who is the current President of the financial firm, Lazard, along with CEO Peter Orszarg, (who also signed the endorsement letter) participated in a secret Zoom call on July 23 to gather support for Harris. It is unclear how many of those meeting attendees were on the agenda for the Wall Street tour arranged by advisors, Nelson and West in August. It is confirmed that the previously mentioned law firm, Paul, Weiss, was on the schedule.

So what is the point?

The Harris/Walz campaign is confident voters will be more concerned with their own comfort, than they are with personal debt, homelessness, unemployment, or the genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation in Palestine. After all, Individualism is a core value for lesser evil voting. While presenting the distraction of campaign promises, and “he’s worse for you” arguments, Harris will actually be working to strengthen her multiple connections to corporations, millionaires and billionaires. Connections which will allow her administration to maintain the current structures and systems and do nothing “for the people.”

We must recognize this contradiction, and ask even more questions.

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