Rhodes worked with many advisers involved in the previous 2008 bid. [8] From 2007 to 2010 Rhoades was a vice president of the public affairs company DCI Group in Washington, D.C. [5], In 1993 Rhoades graduated from Saratoga Springs High School. So we have to stay vigilant and make sure that we are constantly watching for any unusual activity.”, Nonprofit offers candidate free or discounted cyberprotection, Both Mook and Rhoades have experience with election breaches. [8] After the victory of George W. Bush, Rhoades worked for the White House as an associate director for presidential personnel. [23] The initiative looks at the problem of political organizations and election infrastructure being targeted by hackers. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, was the Republican nominee for president when Barack Obama ran for re-election in 2012. Romney’s 2012 campaign was attacked by Chinese hackers, while Russian agents hacked Democratic Party emails, including Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. "What Matt and I are trying to do is cope with the reality, which is campaigns are on their own right now.". "This is a non-partisan organization, and we want to be able to have credibility to go in and help Democratic campaigns, Republican campaigns, conservative campaigns and even liberal campaigns," said Rhoades, who is co-chief executive officer of Republican lobbying firm CGCN Group. [24] Rhoades and Mook launched this project in large part due to the hacking attacks both experienced during their times as campaign managers in 2012 and 2016, respectively. [20], In 2017, Robby Mook, Clinton's 2016 campaign manager,[21] Eric Rosenbach, former defense secretary Ash Carter's chief of staff,[22] and Rhoades launched the Defending Digital Democracy Project at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Stocks Trim Losses Amid Stimulus Talks, Bank Rally: Markets Wrap, Wells Fargo Fires More Than 100 Workers for Abusing U.S. Aid, Tax Burden Equal to 70% Rate Crushes Americans Unable to Pay, Houston Tech Mogul Indicted for ‘Largest-Ever Tax Charge’, Robinhood Internal Probe Finds Hackers Hit Almost 2,000 Accounts. But the two men share a common experience: both of the campaigns they ran were targeted by foreign adversaries. Debora Plunkett, chair of the DDC’s board of directors, who has been meeting with campaigns to assess their cybersecurity needs, said the candidates and their teams have woken up to the threat. [11] He deliberately kept a low profile, rarely traveled with Romney and tried to not appear on TV. Keep discussions on topic, avoid personal attacks and threats of any kind. Now, Mook and Rhoades are doing something about it. Mook, a Democrat, was campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. [13] It was established as the Republican counterpart to the Democratic opposition research group, American Bridge 21st Century. The companies involved include Cybrary, which provides cybersecurity training services; Wickr Inc., an encrypted communications platform; Area 1, an email security company; Lookout Inc., a mobile endpoint security provider; and GRA Quantum, which provides a variety of cybersecurity services. Rhoades is currently serving … In a heated GOP primary atmosphere Rhoades managed to secure the Republican nomination for Romney. . Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. Michael Kaiser, former executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, is the president and chief executive officer. “What I’ve found actually is campaign staff who are much more sophisticated than I would have assumed,” said Plunkett, the former director of the Information Assurance Directorate at the U.S. National Security Agency. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign manager Matt Rhoades at that year's Republican National Convention. So will all candidates who quality for general elections. "Obviously there would be much more happiness if we could just give them the thing and plug it in and be done," Plunkett said. They created a nonprofit, which opens for business Thursday, with the goal of providing free or low-cost cybersecurity services to congressional and presidential candidates. Scrutinized Agency Employees Critical of Trump", "The EPA Hired a Major Republican Opposition Research Firm to Track Press Activity", "Former Clinton and Romney campaign chiefs join forces to fight election hacking", "Eric Rosenbach | Harvard Kennedy School", "Belfer Center Launches "Defending Digital Democracy" Project To Fight Cyber Attacks and Protect Integrity of Elections | Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs", "Clinton, Romney campaign chiefs team up", "Top state officials join bipartisan fight against election hacking", Bloomberg: Campaign Managers for Clinton, Romney Provide Help for Hacks, AP News: US firm offers free cybersecurity help to federal campaigns, The Wall Street Journal: Tech Companies Volunteer to Beef Up Presidential Campaigns’ Cybersecurity, The Intercept: GOP LOBBY SHOP COURTS BLACK AND HISPANIC DEMOCRATS IN VACUUM LEFT BY LIBERAL ESTABLISHMENT, Politico: K Street poised for big business in GOP-run Washington, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matt_Rhoades&oldid=964293740, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs alumni, The Graduate School of Political Management alumni, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, co-chief executive at CGCN Group, lobbyist, political consultant, This page was last edited on 24 June 2020, at 17:30. “This is a non-partisan organization, and we want to be able to have credibility to go in and help Democratic campaigns, Republican campaigns, conservative campaigns and even liberal campaigns,” said Rhoades, who is co-chief executive officer of Republican lobbying firm CGCN Group. DDC officials said they will publish all information about its funding, including every donation, and attempt to balance donations from Democrats and Republicans. Robby Mook and Matt Rhoades are from different sides of the political aisle. Rhoades, a Republican, ran Mitt Romney’s presidential run in 2012. Defending Digital Campaigns is a spin off of work Mook and Rhoades did at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, where they researched ways to protect campaigns. • Beth Myers, campaign manager (worked for Karl Rove in the 1980s, and had long been a campaign advisor) Presidential candidates who are polling above 5% nationally will qualify. The initiative's objective, to find solutions for "election-related cybersecurity threats", is being supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. Called Defending Digital Campaigns, it plans to serve as a clearinghouse that connects campaigns with cybersecurity companies. Presidential candidates who are polling above 5% nationally will qualify. The group's team includes former senior officials from federal agencies and the tech industry. Their endeavor was made possible by a May opinion from the Federal Election Commission concluding the DDC’s discounted or free cybersecurity services wouldn’t run afoul of campaign finance laws. Mook, a Democrat, was campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Matthew “Matt” Rhoades (born February 3,1975) is an American political and public affairs consultant. Robby Mook and Matt Rhoades are from different sides of the political aisle. (Charles Dharapak/AP). So we have to stay vigilant and make sure that we are constantly watching for any unusual activity.". Rhoades, a Republican, ran Mitt Romney's presidential run in 2012. Both contributed $250,000 in September. Now, Mook and Rhoades are doing something about it. from the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University in 1999. Now, Mook and Rhoades are doing something about it. DDC officials said they will publish all information about its funding, including every donation, and attempt to balance donations from Democrats and Republicans. “What Matt and I are trying to do is cope with the reality, which is campaigns are on their own right now.”. [9], As research director during the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign Rhoades became known for his opposition research. DDC won't name campaigns that use its services, fearing such disclosures could put a target on them or reveal information on how they protect networks. Links will not be permitted. Mook, a Democrat, was campaign manager for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. DDC has received special approval from the Federal Election Commission to work directly with political campaigns while maintaining it’s non-profit status. . Before a slower start to the presidential campaign by all contenders than four years previous, on April 11, 2011, Mitt Romney announced by means of a video recorded that day at an athletics field at the University of New Hampshire that he had formed an exploratory committee as a first step for a potential run for a Republican presidential campaign, saying, "It is time that we put America back on a course of greatness, with a growing economy, good jobs and fiscal discipline in Washington." DDC officials stress that they won’t discriminate based on political persuasion, though campaigns must meet certain thresholds. In the 2008 presidential bid of Mitt Romney, Rhoades was director of communications. [7] In the 2000 presidential election, he worked as a research analyst for the Republican National Committee assisting in the Florida recount. Part of that reality is that political campaigns are inherently insecure, as they involve an army of volunteers and a need to scale up quickly.