Illinois House Democrats have announced their decision to discontinue working with SKDK, a public relations firm that had been supporting then-Speaker Michael Madigan with sexual harassment issues, all the while orchestrating support for one of his accusers, Alaina Hampton, a campaign worker who was alleged harassed by one of Madigan's lieutenants. This apparent conflict of interest has led House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch to cut ties with the Washington, D.C.-based company, according to Chicago Tribune.
Reports indicate that between 2018 and 2019, SKDK and one of its founders, Anita Dunn, worked with Madigan on these issues and received over $200,000 from his personal campaign fund. At the same time, SKDK was collaborating with Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, a women's advocacy group, and hiring a private contractor to help provide Hampton and other survivors with public relations support.
Upon discovering this conflict of interest, Hampton expressed that she would not have utilized the SKDK contractor if she had known of Dunn and SKDK's work with Madigan. Illinois State Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat, described SKDK's actions as a "direct betrayal" of Hampton, and urged Welch to cut ties with the firm, as reported by WLRN.
Following the surfacing of these reports, SKDK issued an apology, acknowledging that their decision to work with Madigan was an "error." However, Welch maintained that their actions were "deeply disheartening and disqualifying," stating that House Democrats are "allies for women, for victims, and for survivors."
While the decision to discontinue their work with SKDK has been made, it is worth noting that Welch did not have direct ties to Dunn herself. Instead, House Democrats had worked with television producers at SKDK during the previous election cycle. Even so, Welch's disassociation from SKDK sends a clear message on House Democrats' stance regarding their vendors and partners living up to the party's values amidst preparing to host the Democratic National Convention and President Joe Biden's re-election campaign in Chicago in 2024.
In response to the decision made by Illinois House Democrats, Mike Czin, a spokesman for SKDK, stated that the company understands their actions and is "proud of the work [they] have done to support survivors." Czin further added that SKDK will "redouble [their] efforts to regain trust."
