SKDKnickerbocker
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Public relations, Political consulting |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder |
Bob Squier William Knapp |
| Headquarters |
Washington, DC New York, NY Albany, NY |
| Website | skdknick.com |
SKDKnickerbocker is a progressive public relations and political consulting firm that specializes in working for Democratic Party politicians. It has offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and Albany, NY.[1] The firm employs notable figures like former Obama White House Communications Director Anita Dunn and former recording industry lobbyist Hilary Rosen.[2][3]
The firm was formed in 2004 when Squier Knapp Dunn Communications and Knickerbocker Consulting merged. In 2010, they took the name SKDKnickerbocker to "formalize the merger."[4]
SKDK's current and former political clients include Barack Obama, Andrew Cuomo, Michael Bloomberg, Christine Quinn.[5] The firm was reportedly hired by women's rights and birth control advocate Sandra Fluke.[6]
In 2011, the firm was hired to coordinate a lobbying campaign called "WIN America" calling for hundreds of billions in tax breaks on corporate profits made overseas.[7] The firm was paid by Kaplan University to lobby against regulation of the for-profit education industry.[8]
Political consulting and communications
SKDKnickerbocker provides political consulting services to political candidates, campaigns, and issue advocacy groups.[9] SKDKnickerbocker describes itself as a full-service public relations practice that offers crisis communications, branding, marketing, media training, digital/social media advice and message development.[10]
Allegations of lobbying
The firm is reported to benefit from access to the Obama White House.[11] An April 2012 article quoted an unnamed senior Democrat: "It’s an open secret in the Dem consultant community that SKD has been signing up clients based on ‘perceived White House access’ tied to prior relationships and employment."[12][13] The firm however does not meet the standard, legal definition of lobbying[14] and is not registered to lobby the federal government.[15]
References
- ↑ SKDKnickerbocker About Us | SKDKnickerbocker
- ↑ POLITICO - 10 things about Hilary Rosen
- ↑ The Nation "The Real Hilary Rosen Scandal: Does Her Firm Sell Access To The White House To Powerful Corporations?
- ↑ New York Post - "Knickerbocker Consulting Firm to Become SKDKnickerbocker"
- ↑ Capital New York - Between Christine Quinn and Hilary Rosen, Unusual Loud Week for quiet SKDKnickerbocker
- ↑ "Factor Investigation: Ex-Obama Official Running Sandra Fluke - Bill O'Reilly - Fox Nation". Fox News. 2012-03-08.
- ↑ Business Week -
- ↑ NYTimes With Lobbying Blitz, For-Profit Colleges Diluted New Rules
- ↑ "SKDKnickerbocker Political Consulting".
- ↑ "SKDKnickerbocker Strategic Communications".
- ↑ National Review "Hilary Rosen, Frequent White House Visitor"
- ↑ The Nation - The Real Hilary Rosen Scandal
- ↑ AB - Does Hilary Rosen's not-lobbying firm sell White House access to corporations?
- ↑ Republic Report - "The Real Hilary Rosen Scandal"
- ↑ Open Secrets