Former Starbucks CEO and Chairman Howard Schultz has added an Obama administration alumni to his team as he considers a self-funded independent bid for the presidency.
Bill Burton, a communications and political strategist, was deputy White House press secretary from 2009 to 2011 after serving on former President Barack Obama’s campaign. Multiple outlets reported Monday the Los Angeles-based Burton had left his current job as public relations firm SKDKnickerbocker’s California managing director to join Schultz’s team.
Schultz’s hiring of Burton comes amid intense scrutiny over his announcement Sunday that he was “seriously considering” a third-party run for president in 2020. Democrats have expressed outrage at Schultz’s decision given the risk he could siphon votes away from the Democratic nominee, boosting Trump’s chances of winning re-election.
SKDKnickerbocker told Washington Post reporter Bob Costa that Burton had departed “to pursue projects he could not have pursued or participated in at SKDK.” Costa’s colleague Josh Dawsey reported SKDK founder Josh Isay sent employees an email Monday that stated “all this firm cares about is beating Donald Trump.”
Burton’s recruitment complements the addition of Steve Schmidt, the late Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign manager, who signed on to help Schultz last year. Schmidt, a former vice chairman at public relations firm Edelman who deregistered from the Republican Party in June 2018, is political analyst for MSNBC.
