OpenAI just made one of the more politically charged hires in recent tech memory. Jessica Schumer, daughter of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, has joined the company’s global affairs team to lead policy and partnerships across the Northeast. The move is part of a broader hiring push that signals OpenAI’s deepening investment in state-level political influence as federal AI legislation remains stuck in neutral.
The hire, reported on September 5, 2026, comes as Silicon Valley companies are scrambling to shore up relationships with Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections.
A bipartisan lobbying bench
Jessica Schumer previously served as chief of staff at the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration and led Amazon’s public policy operations in New York.
She wasn’t the only hire. OpenAI also brought on Caulder Harvill-Childs, a former Meta public policy lead with Republican state legislative experience, to cover the Southeast. Thomas MacLellan, a cybersecurity policy veteran with stints at Palo Alto Networks and Symantec, rounds out the trio with a focus on state cyber defense.
The reverse federalism play
With Congress unable to pass comprehensive AI legislation, states have rushed to fill the vacuum. California, New York, and Illinois have emerged as the most active arenas for AI safety, transparency, and cybersecurity regulation. OpenAI appears to be pursuing a “reverse federalism” approach: rather than waiting for a top-down federal framework, the company is trying to shape regulations in key states that could become de facto national standards.
OpenAI has already influenced AI transparency laws in both California and New York. Lawmakers across the country are drafting bills covering everything from algorithmic transparency to deepfake disclosure to automated decision-making in hiring.