Former Vice President Joe Biden continues to make a splash in the 2020 Democratic primary. Hours after formally declaring his candidacy for president on Thursday, Biden picked up a coveted endorsement from celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti.
The former veep also announced a series of campaign hires, including former Bernie Sanders campaign press secretary Symone Sanders, as well as Anita Dunn, the former Obama adviser who helped provide "damage control" guidance to disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein.
NEW: Ex-Obama adviser Anita Dunn is joining Team Biden, sources tell @amieparnes. https://t.co/TSWeWW9vkD
— Brandon Conradis (@BConradis) April 25, 2019
Dunn, who is currently a managing director at the Washington, D.C., lobbying firm SKDKnickerbocker that previously represented left-wing activist Sandra Fluke, had already been advising Biden prior to his campaign announcement.
BuzzFeed reported in October 2016 that Dunn was among the team of legal and communications professionals providing "damage control advice" to Harvey Weinstein surrounding the publication of a New York Times investigation into the Hollywood mogul's history of sexual predation. Dunn was reportedly not paid for her help, but was "asked to speak with [Weinstein] by a friend," her lobbying firm said in a statement.
There is a seemingly endless list of possibilities as to whom that "friend" could be, given that Weinstein was courted by numerous prominent Democratic officials and was a significant financial contributor to Democratic candidates and causes.
Prior to advising Weinstein, Dunn was best known for citing communist dictator Mao Zedong as one of her favorite political philosophers.