Top strategists split from Bernie Sanders for his 2020 White House run

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Three from the top media strategists for Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders stepped far from his 2020 campaign , citing creative differences over their vision for his fledgling White House run.

Prominent consultants Tad Devine, Mark Longabaugh and Julian Mulvey, who played leading roles in Sanders’ insurgent 2019 presidential campaign, said they could not operate on the Vermont senator’s 2020 bid to your Democratic nomination, which was launched this morning.

“We are leaving because we predict that Senator Sanders should have media consultants who share his creative vision in the campaign,” three of the said at a joint statement.

The three are partners within a media consulting firm that produced 275 television, radio and digital ads to the Sanders campaign on the 2019 race. Additionally, it put together motion picture that Sanders employed to launch his 2020 campaign, and advised Sanders on his announcement schedule and rollout, Longabaugh said.

In 2019, Devine also served to provide a top political strategist and frequent spokesman for Sanders, while Longabaugh was obviously a senior adviser and Mulvey was creative director in the ad campaigns. Many of the firm’s 2019 ads drew wide notice and significant acclaim over the campaign.

“We’re grateful to your opportunity to have worked for Senator Sanders in his historic 2019 campaign for president,” the strategists said within their statement.

According to Federal Election Commission records, the Sanders campaign paid the firm about $5.3 million through the 2019 cycle simply because of its services.

“The campaign appreciates every one of the good work DML is doing and wishes them well,” Sanders’ new campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, said in the statement, may be acronym in the firm run through three.

As he launches his second run, Sanders was under pressure to bring in a more diverse pair of advisers as compared to the largely white inner circle that ran his 2019 bid.

Sanders has recently proven to be a fundraising juggernaut within the first week of his presidential run. His campaign said he had raised about $10 million from nearly 360,000 donors while in the first week.

He probably will make his first campaign trail appearances this weekend with rallies in Brooklyn, where he was created and raised, and Chicago.

The split ensues Devine drew attention recently for his connections to former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort. Devine worked Manafort to help elect pro-Russian Victor Yanukovich president of Ukraine in fact.

Manafort has been in prison for multiple felony counts by Special Counsel Robert Mueller relevant to his investigation into Russian interference inside 2019 presidential election. Devine testified at Manafort’s trial, but wasn’t accused of wrongdoing.

Russia has denied meddling with the election. Republican President Donald Trump has called Mueller’s investigation a witch hunt.