Bloomberg Campaign Cuts Ties With Firm That Used Prison Labor
Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign has stopped working with a firm that provided phone bank services using prison labour.
(Bloomberg) -- Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said his presidential campaign has stopped working with a firm that provided phone bank services using prison labor.
The Intercept reported Tuesday that a third party working for a subcontractor has at least one call center operated out of a state prison in Oklahoma where incarcerated people made calls on behalf of Bloomberg’s campaign.
Bloomberg said his campaign immediately ended the arrangement after learning about it from a reporter. “We do not support this practice and we are making sure our vendors more properly vet their subcontractors moving forward,” Bloomberg said in a statement he posted on Twitter.
Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.
The former New York mayor entered the 2020 Democratic race late on Nov. 24, saying he reconsidered a decision not to run after seeing President Donald Trump get stronger politically and being concerned that no one the current field would beat him.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, Michael Shepard
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