{"slug": "openai-hires-chuck-schumers-daughter-as-big-tech-cozies-up-to-democrats-ahead-of", "title": "OpenAI hires Chuck Schumer’s daughter as Big Tech cozies up to Democrats ahead of midterms: report", "summary": "OpenAI has hired Jessica Schumer, daughter of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Amazon public-policy official, for a top policy job handling government outreach in Northeastern states, Axios reported. The move comes as Big Tech hedges bets ahead of the November midterms, with OpenAI also hiring Caulder Harvill-Childs, a former Meta policy staffer with Republican ties, for Southeast policy work.", "body_md": "# OpenAI hires Chuck Schumer’s daughter as Big Tech cozies up to Democrats ahead of midterms: report\n\nSee more of our coverage in your search results.\n\n[Add The New York Post on Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=nypost.com)\n\n[OpenAI](https://nypost.com/2026/09/04/business/openai-ceo-sam-altman-says-38k-chatgpt-queries-only-use-amount-of-water-it-takes-to-grow-an-almond/) has reportedly hired Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s daughter Jessica Schumer for a top policy job as Silicon Valley increasingly works to shore up ties with Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections.\n\nJessica Schumer, Amazon’s former top public-policy official in New York, is joining OpenAI to handle the company’s government outreach and partnerships in Northeastern states, [Axios reported](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/05/openai-state-policy-team), citing a spokesperson for the AI giant.\n\nThe Harvard and Yale-educated Schumer brings deep ties to Democratic politics and government to [OpenAI](https://nypost.com/2026/08/30/business/openai-to-cut-off-ai-models-for-spacex-owned-cursor-escalating-feud-with-musk/), which is rapidly expanding its operations in Washington, DC, and state capitals as lawmakers wrestle with how to regulate the booming industry.\n\nBefore joining Amazon in 2020, Schumer’s résumé included serving in the Obama White House as chief of staff of the Council of Economic Advisers and working as policy director for Tim Kaine during Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign.\n\nOpenAI’s hiring of Jessica Schumer could draw scrutiny because her [father, a Dem, helped lead the Senate’s push to develop federal AI policy](https://nypost.com/2023/07/13/ftc-opens-probe-into-chatgpt-maker-openai/), including a series of bipartisan forums that culminated in a policy roadmap.\n\nHer [younger sister Alison Schumer has also built a career in tech](https://nypost.com/2022/01/18/schumers-daughters-work-for-amazon-facebook-as-he-holds-power-over-antitrust-bill/), working at Facebook and Instagram before moving to Airbnb and later returning to Facebook.\n\nHer roles have included policy and communications at Instagram, public affairs at Airbnb and product marketing at Facebook.\n\nJessica Schumer’s hiring comes as Big Tech companies that aggressively courted President Trump after his return to the White House increasingly hedge their bets ahead of an election that could hand Democrats control of the House.\n\nOpenAI itself has pursued what appears to be a bipartisan strategy.\n\nIt also brought aboard Caulder Harvill-Childs to handle policy and partnerships in the Southeast. Harvill-Childs, who most recently worked in public policy at Meta, previously served under Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican.\n\nOther tech companies have made similar moves as the prospect of a Democratic-controlled House raises the possibility of congressional investigations, subpoenas and hearings.\n\nMeta, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg [cultivated a closer relationship with Trump following his 2024 election victory](https://www.wsj.com/tech/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-donates-1-million-to-trumps-inaugural-fund-32a999c1), has poured millions into groups aligned with both parties.\n\nThe tech giant gave $5 million apiece to Democratic-aligned House Majority Forward and Majority Forward, while handing the same amounts to GOP-aligned American Action Network and One Nation, [according to the Wall Street Journal.](https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/trump-corporate-donors-election-2026-572c1b28) \n\nThe company previously contributed $10 million to a Trump-aligned political committee.\n\nCompanies including Meta and Palantir have meanwhile been preparing for the possibility that a Democratic House could launch investigations into corporations with close ties to Trump, according to the Journal.\n\nCompanies are also consulting lawyers and making internal preparations for potential congressional inquiries, the Journal reported.\n\nThe preparations come as Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to seize the House and gain control of committees with subpoena authority.\n\nArtificial intelligence companies and their wealthy backers have been pouring tens of millions of dollars into congressional races — including Democratic primaries — as the industry seeks to shape emerging AI policy.\n\nLeading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC backed by tech heavyweights including [OpenAI](https://nypost.com/2026/09/01/business/openai-slams-apple-trade-secret-theft-lawsuit-as-baseless-a-mess-of-apples-own-making/) co-founder Greg Brockman, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and venture capitalist Ron Conway, have amassed tens of millions of dollars to influence congressional races.\n\nThe group has backed Democrats including Reps. Ritchie Torres of New York, Rob Menendez of New Jersey and Val Hoyle of Oregon, while supporting Republicans in other races.\n\nOther AI-linked groups have spent millions supporting candidates in both parties, a sign that Silicon Valley is seeking influence on both sides of the aisle.\n\nPrediction-market giant Kalshi has taken a similarly approach.\n\nDonald Trump Jr. serves as a strategic adviser to the company. This year, Kalshi hired John Bivona, a former Biden administration official who previously served as deputy national political director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, to lead its federal government relations operation.\n\nIt later added veteran Obama strategist Stephanie Cutter as a policy adviser.\n\nThe Post has sought comment from [Chuck Schumer](https://nypost.com/2026/08/06/us-news/chuck-schumer-tepidly-endorses-abdul-el-sayed-the-guy-who-wants-him-replaced/), Jessica Schumer and OpenAI.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-hires-chuck-schumers-daughter-as-big-tech-cozies-up-to-democrats-ahead-of", "canonical_source": "https://nypost.com/2026/09/07/business/openai-hires-chuck-schumers-daughter-as-big-tech-cozies-up-to-democrats-ahead-of-midterms-report/", "published_at": "2026-09-07 16:27:54+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-07 16:55:13.983449+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy"], "entities": ["OpenAI", "Jessica Schumer", "Chuck Schumer", "Amazon", "Axios", "Meta", "Caulder Harvill-Childs"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-hires-chuck-schumers-daughter-as-big-tech-cozies-up-to-democrats-ahead-of", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-hires-chuck-schumers-daughter-as-big-tech-cozies-up-to-democrats-ahead-of.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-hires-chuck-schumers-daughter-as-big-tech-cozies-up-to-democrats-ahead-of.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-hires-chuck-schumers-daughter-as-big-tech-cozies-up-to-democrats-ahead-of.jsonld"}}