WASHINGTON — President Biden’s senior adviser for communications Anita Dunn is leaving the White House for a Kamala Harris super PAC, marking the first high-level departure since Biden abandoned his bid for a second term over concerns about his mental acuity.
Dunn, a longtime leading Democratic strategist, found herself blamed by Biden’s family for her role preparing the president ahead of his disastrous June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump, which unleashed the party mutiny that forced Biden, 81, to step aside and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
After her announcement Tuesday, Biden lauded Dunn – who will now serve as an adviser to Forward Future, a well-funded group backing Harris’ candidacy in the Nov. 5 election.
“Four years ago, when I launched my campaign for the battle for the soul of our nation, I was grateful Anita Dunn was right there with me,” Biden said. “… She’s not only a key senior member of our team that helped us win a historic election in 2020 – she’s also been an invaluable part of our White House,” he added.
During Dunn’s time in the Biden White House, she orchestrated a failed coup against press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over concerns that she would be a poor election-year spokesperson for the president.
The veteran operator, 66, enlisted outside figures to try to persuade Jean-Pierre to leave last year, sources told The Post in April. Dunn confided her plans shortly before an unsolicited job offer to lead EMILY’s List was dangled to the first non-white and first LGBT press secretary, which was rebuffed.
Dunn is married to Biden’s personal lawyer Bob Bauer, who helped Biden avoid criminal charges in special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation of the mishandling of classified documents from his vice presidency and Senate years.
Hur concluded his investigation with a February report saying Biden should not face charges in part because jurors would see a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Biden said Dunn is “tough and tested, and her experience and intellect have helped us deliver historic results for the American people.”
“I’ve known Anita throughout my career. She’s served our nation through three Administrations and countless campaigns for candidates at every level,” Biden said.
“I deeply value her counsel and friendship and I will continue to rely on her partnership and insights as we finish the job over the next six months,” he added.
Dunn previously served as President Barack Obama’s White House Communications Director in 2009.
Between her time in public office, she amassed a fortune, including as managing director of Democrat-affiliated campaign contractor SKDKnickerbocker, that drew concern about potential conflicts of interest.
Dunn and her husband held between $16.8 million to $48.2 million in investments, according to papers released by the US Office of Government Ethics in 2022, including holdings in Amazon, Apple, Bank of America, Boeing, Cisco, Comcast, ConocoPhillips, Exxon, Facebook, General Dynamics, General Motors, Google, Halliburton, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Oracle, Phillip Morris, Tesla and Wells Fargo.