Bloomberg to provide campaign staff to whoever is the Democratic nominee

Jewish billionaire will also retain company running his pricey ad campaign to help eventual candidate defeat Trump, even if it isn’t him

By Josefin Dolsten 11 January 2020, 12:29 pm

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Democratic presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg speaks during the opening of a campaign office at Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan, December 21, 2019 2020. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP)

NEW YORK (JTA) — Michael Bloomberg says he will direct a significant portion of his campaign staff to help elect the Democratic presidential nominee if it isn’t him.

The Jewish billionaire and former New York mayor says he will pay some 500 staffers around the country to continue working through election day, even if he doesn’t win the nomination. He will also retain Hawkfish, a digital company he started that is currently running a $100 million ad campaign for him, to promote the eventual nominee against US President Donald Trump.

“Mike Bloomberg is either going to be the nominee or the most important person supporting the Democratic nominee for president,” his campaign manager, Kevin Sheekey, told NBC News on Friday. “He is dedicated to getting Trump out of the White House.”

The move may be an effort to assuage fears his late entry into the race could split the Democratic vote and lead to a weaker candidate becoming the nominee.

The media mogul entered the race in November after previously saying he wasn’t running. He has hired hundreds of staffers working in more than 30 states. Three hundred alone work in his New York headquarters.