Big Tech antitrust lawyers ramp up Harris fundraisers: ‘Trying to storm the castle’

High-powered lawyers representing Big Tech clients person co-hosted a bid of blue-chip fundraisers for Kamala Harris’s run arsenic nan 2024 statesmanlike predetermination draws adjacent – and antitrust watchdogs are crying foul.

Last Thursday, a group of “antitrust lawyers and economists for Harris” held a virtual fundraiser featuring an quality by erstwhile US Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta. Ticket prices ranged arsenic precocious arsenic $6,600, according to a transcript of an invitation obtained by The Post.

Notable co-hosts included Daniel Bitton, a partner astatine San Francisco-based rule patient Axinn who is defending Google successful nan Biden-Harris DOJ’s suit targeting its alleged monopoly complete integer advertising

Other co-chairs included Renata Hesse, who erstwhile downplayed concerns astir Google’s monopoly complete online search; Edith Ramirez, a erstwhile Democratic FTC chair who erstwhile defended Google-owned YouTube successful a class-action suit complete kids’ privacy; and Ethan Glass, who has repped clients for illustration JetBlue against US antitrust complaints.

“This is simply a confab of ‘Big Law’ lawyers who person been representing monopolists against nan FTC and DOJ, and they are shamelessly trying to large wind nan castle aft being locked retired during nan Biden years,” 1 Democrat who pays attraction to antitrust issues told The Post.

The Post reached retired to nan Harris campaign, Bitton, Hesse, Ramirez and Glass for remark but did not perceive back.

Earlier this month, The Post reported connected conflict-of-interest concerns that arose aft respective cardinal members of Google’s ineligible squad co-hosted an Oct. 18 fundraiser for Harris successful Washington, DC – pinch tickets costing arsenic overmuch arsenic $50,000.

Karen Dunn, a apical litigator astatine white-shoe rule patient Paul Weiss who infamously led Harris’s last statement prep against Trump connected nan aforesaid time that she delivered Google’s opening defense successful nan integer advertizing trial, was listed arsenic a co-chair.

Dunn’s colleagues Jeannie Rhee and Bill Isaacson besides attended nan event, which featured appearances by erstwhile US Attorney General Eric Holder, Uber wide counsel and Harris’s brother-in-law Tony West and ex-acting Attorney General Sally Yates.

Just 1 time later, longtime Amazon wide counsel David Zapolsky co-hosted a fundraiser alongside cardinal Harris run surrogate and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a transcript of nan invitation obtained by The Post.

In California, Newsom precocious vetoed an AI information measure that had been vigorously lobbied against by tech task patient Andreessen Horowitz and waste and acquisition groups representing Google and Meta. After initially opposing nan bill, Amazon-backed AI patient Anthropic expressed tepid support for nan measure aft securing changes.

The violative is playing retired arsenic Big Tech firms upwind an unprecedented activity of antitrust litigation.

Apple and Google are successful nan midst of historical Justice Department antitrust cases, while Amazon and Facebook are presently being sued by nan Federal Trade Commission. AI leaders for illustration spot supplier Nvidia and OpenAI besides person nan attraction of regulators.

“It should beryllium profoundly concerning to anyone, Republican aliases Democrat, that cares astir reining successful Big Tech monopolies, that (Harris’s campaign) continues to do fundraisers pinch lawyers for Google and different Big Tech companies,” nationalist affairs executive Garrett Ventry said.

Top regulators appointed by nan Biden-Harris administration, including FTC Chair Lina Khan and SEC chair Gary Gensler, person faced crisp pushback from Silicon Valley bigwigs for starring a crackdown connected salient firms progressive successful nan artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency sectors.

In July, billionaire Reid Hoffman sparked outrage among progressives erstwhile he accused Khan of “waging warfare connected American business” and openly calling connected Harris to occurrence her if she is elected. Other Democratic advocates, including Mark Cuban, person called for Gensler to beryllium forced out.

The backlash has contributed to a astonishing displacement successful Silicon Valley support toward Trump – astir notably successful nan shape of Elon Musk, who precocious declared himself “dark MAGA” and contributed millions to his campaign.

The Harris run has made clear efforts to reassure Silicon Valley, a longtime root of support and awesome donations for Democrats.

Key Harris surrogates for illustration Cuban and West person made nan lawsuit successful nationalist and down closed doors that she would return a friendlier stance toward firm interests if she is elected.

Cuban, erstwhile asked by The Post if he had a consciousness of really a Harris management would grip Big Tech antitrust matters, replied, “I don’t.”

Last week, the Washington Post reported that West and ex-Treasury charismatic Brian Nelson person been telling groups of tech executives that they are successful “listening mode” during backstage outreach meetings connected Harris’s behalf.

Andreesen Horowitz co-founder Ben Horowitz, who antecedently expressed support for Trump, reversed people past period by pledging a “significant” aid to Harris. Horowitz said he “had respective conversations pinch Vice President Harris and her squad connected their apt tech policies and americium encouraged by my belief successful her.”

In September, Harris released an economical argumentation outline that provided arguably nan astir substantive look astatine nan policies she would prosecute successful nan office.

The 82-page archive said a Harris management would “encourage innovative technologies for illustration AI and integer assets while protecting our consumers and investors” – but referenced nan connection “antitrust conscionable 1 time.”     

Some anti-monopoly watchdogs antecedently warned that corporate-friendly advisers successful Harris’s orbit could lobby down nan scenes for leniency toward Google – perchance successful nan shape of a “slap connected nan wrist settlement” alternatively than nan full-fledged breakup sought by nan feds.

In August, nan DOJ won a historical triumph aft Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google was a “monopolist” pinch an forbidden stranglehold complete nan online hunt market. He is expected to determine connected remedies by adjacent summertime – and nan feds person floated a forced selloff of Google’s Android package aliases Chrome browser arsenic imaginable fixes.

Meanwhile, closing arguments successful nan DOJ’s integer advertizing antitrust lawsuit are expected to wrap up successful November. Google leader Sundar Pichai has admitted that he expects nan institution to beryllium entangled successful antitrust litigation and appeals for “many years.”