TikTok Hires Former Biden Aide To Lobby Congress – Over 30 Countries Have Banned or Limited TikTok

 

TikTok is trying to stop the government’s effort to ban the platform in the US.

The Chinese social media giant hired another former aide of Joe Biden’s to lobby the government on their behalf.

They hired Ankit Desai, who worked for Biden when he was a senator in 2005.

Ankit Desai worked with Old Joe back in 2005.

The Washington Examiner reported:

Another former Joe Biden staffer revealed he has joined TikTok’s growing lobbying army — the same day that the Chinese company’s CEO testified before Congress this week amid growing efforts to ban the app.

Ankit Desai, who worked for Biden in 2005 when the future president was a U.S. senator from Delaware, registered as a lobbyist for TikTok on Thursday while Shou Zi Chew’s contentious testimony in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee was underway. The Chinese Communist Party-linked company is facing a potential ban by Biden.

Desai, who has been president of AND Partners LLC since last year, worked as a legislative correspondent for Biden in the Senate from March to December 2005, according to his LinkedIn. According to Open Secrets, he was also a political director for Biden that year, too. Desai’s online profiles say he had also been a budget director for John Kerry for President in 2004. Desai had also worked for two Democratic senators from New Jersey from 2002 to 2004.

TikTok previously hired Jamal Brown, who was the national press secretary for Biden’s 2020 campaign.

The Hill reported:

TikTok has responded by quickly amassing a huge roster of lobbyists with close ties to Biden and congressional leaders.

TikTok already employs Jamal Brown, who was national press secretary for Biden’s 2020 campaign. Earlier this month, TikTok contracted with SKDK, a powerful consulting firm with close ties to Biden. Anita Dunn, one of the firm’s founders, is currently serving as a senior adviser to the president.

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance spent $5.4 million on lobbying last year, according to nonpartisan research group OpenSecrets, its highest annual figure.

Democrats are scared to ban TikTok because it will upset young voters.