Sara Taylor
Encyclopedia
Sara Marie Taylor is a public relations consultant who was the Director of the White House Office of Political Affairs and Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush
from February 2005 to May 30, 2007. A Republican campaign strategist, field operator, pollster, she was one of George W. Bush's top political aides until her resignation in 2007. During that period, she reported directly to Karl Rove
. She testified to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy of 2007.
, a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic school in Dubuque, Iowa
, in 1992. She then attended Drake University
in Des Moines, Iowa
. While in college, she was the National Co-Chairman of the College Republicans
. She also took a year off, in 1995-1996, to work on Senator Phil Gramm
's presidential campaign in Iowa.
After graduating from Drake in 1997 with a B.S. in Finance, Taylor worked for two years at the Tarrance Group, a northern Virginia polling firm headed by Ed Goeas.
In from April 1999, Taylor began working for the presidential campaign of George Bush
. Her initial position, through January 2000, was coalitions director for Bush's Iowa caucus campaign. She then did field work in the South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and Illinois primaries, and finally served as executive director of the Michigan campaign. After Bush was elected, Taylor worked for the White House as an associate political director (Midwest) doing political and public affairs outreach.
In July 2003, Taylor became the Deputy to Matthew Dowd
, the Chief Strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 re-election campaign
. There she helped refine the campaign's microtargeting, using sophisticated analysis of consumer data to target potential voters even when they resided in Democratic-leaning voting districts.
After the November 2004 election, Taylor returned to work in the White House. Beginning in February 2005, she was the Director of the White House Office of Political Affairs and Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush
. A Republican campaign strategist, field operator, and pollster, she was one of George W. Bush's top political aides, reporting directly to Karl Rove
. She resigned in May 2007.
and House judiciary committees
issued a subpoena
to Taylor, to produce documents and testify before the committee. A subpoena was also issued to Harriet E. Miers, former White House counsel and supreme court nominee. In response to the subpoenas, the White House said that its longstanding policy was that no past or present White House officials would be permitted to testify under oath before the panels, and that only private, non-legally-binding, non-transcribed interviews would be permitted.
The Democratic chairs of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees said that the White House terms were unacceptable.
A ranking member of the Senate Judiciary committee, Arlen Specter
(R-PA) said that Taylor had not responded to an April 11, 2007 inquiry by the committee, and he supported the issuance of the subpoena in light of the lack of response by Taylor. On July 9, 2007, White House counsel Fred Fielding
, in letters to Senator Patrick Leahy
(D-VT) and Representative John Conyers
(D-MI) said the President Bush is invoking executive privilege
and not allowing Taylor to testify, but reiterated that Taylor was available for a private, off the record
interview.
Ultimately, on July 11, 2007, Taylor did appear before the committee, where she testified that she did not talk to or meet with President Bush about removing federal prosecutors before eight of them were fired. Former Chief of Staff to the attorney general Kyle Sampson
had already testified that Taylor was upset when the Attorney General finally "rejected" use of the interim authority to appoint US Attorneys without Senate confirmation. However, under questioning from Chairman Leahy, Taylor responded "I did not speak to the president about removing U.S. attorneys. I did not attend any meetings with the president where that matter was discussed." Taylor answered many questions with "I don't recall." "Taylor shifted between defending the Bush administration and refusing to answer questions, claiming executive privilege via a letter from White House counsel Fred Fielding."
At one point Taylor said "I took an oath and I take that oath to the president very seriously." She was corrected by Leahy who pointed out that her oath had been to uphold the Constitution, "Your oath is not to uphold the president." After she agreed with his statement, Leahy said "We understand your personal loyalty to President Bush. I appreciate you correcting that your oath was not to the president, but to the Constitution. But you also have legal obligations to honor your oath to tell the truth, the whole truth. And failures to produce documents and no recalls, those are very difficult for me to accept as chairman of this committee."
Senator Arlen Specter
(R-PA) told Taylor "You might have been on safer legal ground if you'd said absolutely nothing.... You are between a rock and a hard place. There's no way you can come out a winner. And I don't think any U.S. attorney anywhere, as the appointee of the president, is going to bring a criminal contempt citation. But if this committee asks for one, it will be a big cloud over you, a big smear that'll last the rest of your life."
She was found not to have any knowledge of the acts and all subpoenas were dismissed.
In mid-2009, Taylor co-founded, with public affairs veteran John Brady, the company Resonate Networks, an advertising firm that will use data on political leanings and attitudes to help companies and interest groups sell online ads. The company initial funding of $2 million came from a wide range of investors including President Bill Clinton's deputy chief of staff, Harold Ickes
; Alexander Gage, founder of TargetPost Consulting, who worked on the Bush 2004 campaign with Taylor; Steve McMahon, media consultant and strategist for Howard Dean
's 2004 presidential campaign; Rich Tarplin, a strategist for members of Congress; and Linda Tarplin, a former senior staffer at the White House and Department of Health and Human Services under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan
.
In October 2009, it was reported that Taylor was one of three GOP consultants with presidential experience who were advising Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
. Pawlenty is considering a presidential run in 2012.
Taylor is currently the owner and president of a new media firm, BlueFront Strategies. BlueFront is a strategic consulting and public affairs company, focused on providing the business community with cutting edge issue advocacy and solutions.
state representative. She is married.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
from February 2005 to May 30, 2007. A Republican campaign strategist, field operator, pollster, she was one of George W. Bush's top political aides until her resignation in 2007. During that period, she reported directly to Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
. She testified to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy of 2007.
Education and early career
Taylor graduated from Wahlert High SchoolWahlert High School
Wahlert Catholic High School is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic high school in the city of Dubuque, Iowa. It is one of four high schools in Dubuque, the others being Central Alternative High School, Hempstead High School and Dubuque Senior High School. Wahlert is the central Catholic high...
, a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic school in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, in 1992. She then attended Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. While in college, she was the National Co-Chairman of the College Republicans
College Republicans
The College Republican National Committee is a national organization for college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States...
. She also took a year off, in 1995-1996, to work on Senator Phil Gramm
Phil Gramm
William Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas...
's presidential campaign in Iowa.
After graduating from Drake in 1997 with a B.S. in Finance, Taylor worked for two years at the Tarrance Group, a northern Virginia polling firm headed by Ed Goeas.
In from April 1999, Taylor began working for the presidential campaign of George Bush
George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000
This article is about the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, winner of the 2000 presidential election and re-elected in the 2004 election.See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his presidency, and George W...
. Her initial position, through January 2000, was coalitions director for Bush's Iowa caucus campaign. She then did field work in the South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and Illinois primaries, and finally served as executive director of the Michigan campaign. After Bush was elected, Taylor worked for the White House as an associate political director (Midwest) doing political and public affairs outreach.
In July 2003, Taylor became the Deputy to Matthew Dowd
Matthew Dowd
Matthew John Dowd is an American political consultant who was the chief strategist for the Bush-Cheney '04 presidential campaign. In December 2007, he was introduced on ABC's Good Morning America as its new political contributor...
, the Chief Strategist for the Bush-Cheney 2004 re-election campaign
George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004
This article is about the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, the former President of the United States and winner of the 2004 Presidential Election. See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his full presidency, and George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000 for a...
. There she helped refine the campaign's microtargeting, using sophisticated analysis of consumer data to target potential voters even when they resided in Democratic-leaning voting districts.
After the November 2004 election, Taylor returned to work in the White House. Beginning in February 2005, she was the Director of the White House Office of Political Affairs and Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. A Republican campaign strategist, field operator, and pollster, she was one of George W. Bush's top political aides, reporting directly to Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
. She resigned in May 2007.
Dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy
On June 13, 2007 The SenateUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
and House judiciary committees
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
issued a subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
to Taylor, to produce documents and testify before the committee. A subpoena was also issued to Harriet E. Miers, former White House counsel and supreme court nominee. In response to the subpoenas, the White House said that its longstanding policy was that no past or present White House officials would be permitted to testify under oath before the panels, and that only private, non-legally-binding, non-transcribed interviews would be permitted.
The Democratic chairs of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees said that the White House terms were unacceptable.
A ranking member of the Senate Judiciary committee, Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
(R-PA) said that Taylor had not responded to an April 11, 2007 inquiry by the committee, and he supported the issuance of the subpoena in light of the lack of response by Taylor. On July 9, 2007, White House counsel Fred Fielding
Fred F. Fielding
Fred Fisher Fielding is an American lawyer, and held the office of White House Counsel for US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.-Personal life:Fielding was born in Philadelphia and raised in Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania...
, in letters to Senator Patrick Leahy
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy is the senior United States Senator from Vermont and member of the Democratic Party. He is the first and only elected Democratic United States Senator in Vermont's history. He is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy is the second most senior U.S. Senator,...
(D-VT) and Representative John Conyers
John Conyers
John Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
(D-MI) said the President Bush is invoking executive privilege
Executive privilege
In the United States government, executive privilege is the power claimed by the President of the United States and other members of the executive branch to resist certain subpoenas and other interventions by the legislative and judicial branches of government...
and not allowing Taylor to testify, but reiterated that Taylor was available for a private, off the record
Off the Record
"Off the record" is a term related to journalism sourcing; see Journalism sourcing#Using confidential information.Off the record may also refer to:- Music :* Off the Record , a 1977 album by Sweet...
interview.
Ultimately, on July 11, 2007, Taylor did appear before the committee, where she testified that she did not talk to or meet with President Bush about removing federal prosecutors before eight of them were fired. Former Chief of Staff to the attorney general Kyle Sampson
Kyle Sampson
D. Kyle Sampson was the Chief of Staff and Counselor of United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. He resigned on March 12, 2007, amid the controversy surrounding the firing of eight United States Attorneys in 2006 and was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing in July 2010...
had already testified that Taylor was upset when the Attorney General finally "rejected" use of the interim authority to appoint US Attorneys without Senate confirmation. However, under questioning from Chairman Leahy, Taylor responded "I did not speak to the president about removing U.S. attorneys. I did not attend any meetings with the president where that matter was discussed." Taylor answered many questions with "I don't recall." "Taylor shifted between defending the Bush administration and refusing to answer questions, claiming executive privilege via a letter from White House counsel Fred Fielding."
At one point Taylor said "I took an oath and I take that oath to the president very seriously." She was corrected by Leahy who pointed out that her oath had been to uphold the Constitution, "Your oath is not to uphold the president." After she agreed with his statement, Leahy said "We understand your personal loyalty to President Bush. I appreciate you correcting that your oath was not to the president, but to the Constitution. But you also have legal obligations to honor your oath to tell the truth, the whole truth. And failures to produce documents and no recalls, those are very difficult for me to accept as chairman of this committee."
Senator Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
(R-PA) told Taylor "You might have been on safer legal ground if you'd said absolutely nothing.... You are between a rock and a hard place. There's no way you can come out a winner. And I don't think any U.S. attorney anywhere, as the appointee of the president, is going to bring a criminal contempt citation. But if this committee asks for one, it will be a big cloud over you, a big smear that'll last the rest of your life."
She was found not to have any knowledge of the acts and all subpoenas were dismissed.
Recent career
In October 2007, Taylor joined Designated Market Media, a leading Republican media consulting firm. She and the other three partners of DMM also created another firm, known as the Blue Front Group, to handle corporate and nonpolitical work.In mid-2009, Taylor co-founded, with public affairs veteran John Brady, the company Resonate Networks, an advertising firm that will use data on political leanings and attitudes to help companies and interest groups sell online ads. The company initial funding of $2 million came from a wide range of investors including President Bill Clinton's deputy chief of staff, Harold Ickes
Harold Ickes
Harold Ickes may refer to:*Harold L. Ickes , U.S. Secretary of the Interior in Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration*Harold M. Ickes , son of the U.S. Interior Secretary, deputy White House Chief of Staff during the administration of U.S. President Bill Clinton...
; Alexander Gage, founder of TargetPost Consulting, who worked on the Bush 2004 campaign with Taylor; Steve McMahon, media consultant and strategist for Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
's 2004 presidential campaign; Rich Tarplin, a strategist for members of Congress; and Linda Tarplin, a former senior staffer at the White House and Department of Health and Human Services under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
In October 2009, it was reported that Taylor was one of three GOP consultants with presidential experience who were advising Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
. Pawlenty is considering a presidential run in 2012.
Taylor is currently the owner and president of a new media firm, BlueFront Strategies. BlueFront is a strategic consulting and public affairs company, focused on providing the business community with cutting edge issue advocacy and solutions.
Personal
Taylor is the daughter of Ray Taylor, a former IowaIowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
state representative. She is married.