SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Democratic presidential hopeful South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg greets campaign volunteers before departing a rally outside the Reading Terminal Market in Center City Philadelphia, PA, on October 20, 2019 (Photo: Bastiaan Slabbers/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Falling in With the 'Wrong Crowd'? Buttigieg Took Campaign Hiring Advice Direct From Facebook CEO
"Very interested to see how Buttigieg answers the many questions he will no doubt be getting about this story."
Oct 21, 2019
Raising fresh questions and new critiques about his close ties to corporate elites amid a hotly contested Democratic primary, Bloomberg reports Monday morning that the campaign of South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg received private and direct hiring advice from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg--advice the presidential candidate apparently took.
According to Bloomberg:
Earlier this year, Zuckerberg sent multiple emails to Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg's campaign manager, with names of individuals that he might consider hiring, campaign spokesman Chris Meagher confirmed. Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife, also sent multiple emails to Schmuhl with staff recommendations. Ultimately, two of the people recommended were hired.
Jennifer Jacobs, senior White House reporter for the news outlet, described the scoop by her colleagues as "a rare example of direct political involvement from one most powerful tech executives."
Already under fire from progressives as a "sharp tool" who often appears to be operating on behalf of corporate interests when it comes to attacking Medicare for All, utilizing fossil fuel industry talking points when addressing the climate crisis, and taking in big money from the financial and tech sectors--the news about accepting behind-the-scenes directions from Zuckerberg, himself under intense political scrutiny for the way in which Facebook's outsized influence is damaging democracy, was not well-received.
\u201c\u201cThe staff recommendations from Zuckerberg are the first evidence of the Facebook CEO actively assisting a presidential campaign.\u201c\n\n@PeteButtigieg has fallen in with the wrong crowd.\n\nhttps://t.co/ikRHc3Jm20\u201d— John Nichols (@John Nichols) 1571651381
\u201cZuckerberg Has Quietly Advised Buttigieg on Campaign Hey \u2066@PeteButtigieg\u2069 A lot of us have boycotted \u2066@facebook\u2069 Because they 100% worked undermine our democracy. Spreading false news&conspiracy theories. Why are you hiring folks he recommends? https://t.co/I5k2rrnzmW\u201d— Diane P (@Diane P) 1571657606
"I will be very interested to see how Buttigieg answers the many questions he will no doubt be getting about this story," said podcast host Len Edgerly in response to Bloomberg's reporting. "It will be a good test of his candor, courage, and clarity."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Raising fresh questions and new critiques about his close ties to corporate elites amid a hotly contested Democratic primary, Bloomberg reports Monday morning that the campaign of South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg received private and direct hiring advice from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg--advice the presidential candidate apparently took.
According to Bloomberg:
Earlier this year, Zuckerberg sent multiple emails to Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg's campaign manager, with names of individuals that he might consider hiring, campaign spokesman Chris Meagher confirmed. Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife, also sent multiple emails to Schmuhl with staff recommendations. Ultimately, two of the people recommended were hired.
Jennifer Jacobs, senior White House reporter for the news outlet, described the scoop by her colleagues as "a rare example of direct political involvement from one most powerful tech executives."
Already under fire from progressives as a "sharp tool" who often appears to be operating on behalf of corporate interests when it comes to attacking Medicare for All, utilizing fossil fuel industry talking points when addressing the climate crisis, and taking in big money from the financial and tech sectors--the news about accepting behind-the-scenes directions from Zuckerberg, himself under intense political scrutiny for the way in which Facebook's outsized influence is damaging democracy, was not well-received.
\u201c\u201cThe staff recommendations from Zuckerberg are the first evidence of the Facebook CEO actively assisting a presidential campaign.\u201c\n\n@PeteButtigieg has fallen in with the wrong crowd.\n\nhttps://t.co/ikRHc3Jm20\u201d— John Nichols (@John Nichols) 1571651381
\u201cZuckerberg Has Quietly Advised Buttigieg on Campaign Hey \u2066@PeteButtigieg\u2069 A lot of us have boycotted \u2066@facebook\u2069 Because they 100% worked undermine our democracy. Spreading false news&conspiracy theories. Why are you hiring folks he recommends? https://t.co/I5k2rrnzmW\u201d— Diane P (@Diane P) 1571657606
"I will be very interested to see how Buttigieg answers the many questions he will no doubt be getting about this story," said podcast host Len Edgerly in response to Bloomberg's reporting. "It will be a good test of his candor, courage, and clarity."
Raising fresh questions and new critiques about his close ties to corporate elites amid a hotly contested Democratic primary, Bloomberg reports Monday morning that the campaign of South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg received private and direct hiring advice from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg--advice the presidential candidate apparently took.
According to Bloomberg:
Earlier this year, Zuckerberg sent multiple emails to Mike Schmuhl, Buttigieg's campaign manager, with names of individuals that he might consider hiring, campaign spokesman Chris Meagher confirmed. Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife, also sent multiple emails to Schmuhl with staff recommendations. Ultimately, two of the people recommended were hired.
Jennifer Jacobs, senior White House reporter for the news outlet, described the scoop by her colleagues as "a rare example of direct political involvement from one most powerful tech executives."
Already under fire from progressives as a "sharp tool" who often appears to be operating on behalf of corporate interests when it comes to attacking Medicare for All, utilizing fossil fuel industry talking points when addressing the climate crisis, and taking in big money from the financial and tech sectors--the news about accepting behind-the-scenes directions from Zuckerberg, himself under intense political scrutiny for the way in which Facebook's outsized influence is damaging democracy, was not well-received.
\u201c\u201cThe staff recommendations from Zuckerberg are the first evidence of the Facebook CEO actively assisting a presidential campaign.\u201c\n\n@PeteButtigieg has fallen in with the wrong crowd.\n\nhttps://t.co/ikRHc3Jm20\u201d— John Nichols (@John Nichols) 1571651381
\u201cZuckerberg Has Quietly Advised Buttigieg on Campaign Hey \u2066@PeteButtigieg\u2069 A lot of us have boycotted \u2066@facebook\u2069 Because they 100% worked undermine our democracy. Spreading false news&conspiracy theories. Why are you hiring folks he recommends? https://t.co/I5k2rrnzmW\u201d— Diane P (@Diane P) 1571657606
"I will be very interested to see how Buttigieg answers the many questions he will no doubt be getting about this story," said podcast host Len Edgerly in response to Bloomberg's reporting. "It will be a good test of his candor, courage, and clarity."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.