Senior White House adviser Anita Dunn, who had an integral in President Biden’s campaign and administration, will be leaving the administration and returning to SKDK, the Democratic consulting company she co-founded, The New York Times reports.
Dunn has been regarded as one of the key driving forces behind the success of Biden’s 2020 presidential bid, prepping him for all his interviews and news conferences.
As the Times notes, her involvement in the Biden administration and continued ties to the consulting group have been a source of criticism as she is exempt from filing public financial disclosures, due to her designation as a “special government employee.” Concerns have also arisen because her firm represents clients who aim to influence government policy.
Throughout her time working on Biden’s campaign and with the administration, she has only briefly separated herself from the firm, the Times noted.
Dunn had reportedly planned on returning to the firm following the 2020 campaign, but Biden and first lady Jill Biden pressed her to stay on with them as they dealt with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, an appeal that Dunn felt she could not refuse.
The Times reports that Dunn’s influence in Biden’s inner circle is not expected to cease after she leaves the administration, as she will plan his reelection bid for 2024.
A senior White House official told the Times that Dunn will be subject to the post-government restrictions that apply to federal employees, meaning there will be a two-year restriction on whom Dunn can contact on matters in which the government has a “substantial interest.”