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Person

Nicole Brener-Schmitz

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

Political Strategist

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 Nicole Brener-Schmitz is a Democratic political consultant currently employed by NBS Strategies. Brener-Schmitz was the political director of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for more than eight years until her firing amid numerous allegations of financial misconduct. She is also an associate and friend of controversial former U.S. Representative Katie Hill (D-CA).

Early Career

After graduating from Whitman College with a degree in politics in 2006, Nicole Brener-Schmitz became an executive assistant and legislative aide for U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA). 1

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

In 2008, Brener-Schmitz became political director of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). 2 She coordinated the union’s support for candidates throughout the country. 3

In 2012, Brener-Schmitz appeared on the cover of Washington Life, a Washington D.C. lifestyle magazine, and was put on the “Young and the Guest List,” a list of young “opinion shapers” in the city. 4

In 2016, the IBT’s independent investigations officer alleged Brener-Schmitz of “embezzlement, racketeering, [and taking] illegal loans” after her union credit card was repeatedly flagged. She was alleged to have received a $4,000 kickback from an organization which received $875,000 from Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education (DRIVE), the IBT’s political action committee. Brener-Schmitz also allegedly took interest-free loans from the union, wrote checks to the union she knew would bounce, and embezzled $11,000 by submitting 546 improper Uber receipts for reimbursement. It was also alleged that IBT general secretary-treasurer Ken Hall obstructed the investigation by concealing emails related to Brener-Schmitz from the investigation. 5 6

Brener-Schmitz denied the allegations and her lawyer claimed she was only guilty of “keeping sloppy records.” 7

Teamsters for a Democratic Union, a left-wing internal pressure group within the IBT, reported that Brener-Schmitz was relieved of her duties in September 2016 but received her salary and benefits for an additional month until her dismissal. 8 9

NBS Strategies

One month after her exit from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Nicole Brener-Schmitz formed NBS Strategies, a political consulting firm. According to Brener-Schmitz’s LinkedIn profile, she left NBS in January 2018, but returned in November 2019 and she continues to work there to this day. 10

Brener-Schmitz has worked with the following clients: the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the Brady PAC, End Citizens United, EMILY’s List, the Latino Victory Fund, the Collective Future, the Southern Strategy, the Justice Action Network, the Sierra Club, the Citizens Trade Campaign, Global Trade Watch, the unsuccessful Arizona gubernatorial campaign of Steve Farley (D), 11 and the Illinois Congressional campaign of Nikki Budzinski (D), a former White House official under President Joe Biden. 12

On February 8, 2022, Brener-Schmitz registered to lobby for Document Storage System (DSS), a healthcare software company. She is also a registered lobbyist for the Communications Workers of America on the PRO Act and the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act, among others. 13

NARAL Pro Choice America

From January 2018 to October 2019, Nicole Brener-Schmitz worked as the national political director for NARAL Pro Choice America, one of the largest abortion advocacy groups in the U.S. 14 She left the position over what was reported as an undisclosed “HR issue.” 15

HER Choice

At some point after her employment with NARAL Pro Choice America, Nicole Brener-Schmitz worked for HER Choice, the political action committee established by former U.S. Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA). 16 17 Brener-Schmitz has also appeared on Naked Politics, Hill’s podcast. 18

References

  1. “Nicole Brener-Schmitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-brener-schmitz-b57b951b3/.
  2. “Nicole Brener-Schmitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-brener-schmitz-b57b951b3/.
  3. “The Young and the Guest List 2012.” Washington Life Magazine. July 8, 2015. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://issuu.com/washingtonlife/docs/ygl-0212.
  4.  “The Young and the Guest List 2012.” Washington Life Magazine. July 8, 2015. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://issuu.com/washingtonlife/docs/ygl-0212.
  5. “More Hoffa-Hall Corruption Charges Filed.” Teamsters for a Democratic Union. November 9, 2016. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.tdu.org/more_hoffa_hall_corruption_charges_filed.
  6. Higgins, Sean. “Investigator says Teamster official embezzled, falsified Uber receipts.” Washington Examiner. November 10, 2016. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/investigator-says-teamster-official-embezzled-falsified-uber-receipts.
  7. Higgins, Sean. “Investigator says Teamster official embezzled, falsified Uber receipts.” Washington Examiner. November 10, 2016. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/investigator-says-teamster-official-embezzled-falsified-uber-receipts.
  8. “Nicole Brener-Schmitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-brener-schmitz-b57b951b3/.
  9. “Hoffa-Hall Corruption Scorecard.” Teamsters for a Democratic Union. December 8, 2016. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.tdu.org/hoffa_hall_corruption_scorecard.
  10. [1] “Nicole Brener-Schmitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-brener-schmitz-b57b951b3/.
  11. [1] “Nicole Brener-Schmitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-brener-schmitz-b57b951b3/.
  12. Hauf, Patrick; Foldi, Matthew. “Top Democratic Recruit Campaigns With Disgraced Former Teamster.” Washington Free Beacon. October 22, 2021. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/top-democratic-recruit-campaigns-with-disgraced-former-teamster/.
  13. “Registrations & Quarterly Activity search: Nicole Brener-Schmitz.” United States Senate Lobbying Disclosure. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://lda.senate.gov/filings/public/filing/search/?registrant=&registrant_country=&registrant_ppb_country=&client=&client_state=&client_country=&client_ppb_country=&lobbyist=Nicole+Brener-Schmitz&lobbyist_covered_position=&lobbyist_conviction_disclosure=&lobbyist_conviction_date_range_from=&lobbyist_conviction_date_range_to=&report_period=&report_year=&report_dt_posted_from=&report_dt_posted_to=&report_amount_reported_min=&report_amount_reported_max=&report_filing_uuid=&report_issue_area_description=&affiliated_organization=&affiliated_organization_country=&foreign_entity=&foreign_entity_country=&foreign_entity_ppb_country=&foreign_entity_ownership_percentage_min=&foreign_entity_ownership_percentage_max=&search=search.
  14. “Nicole Brener-Schmitz.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-brener-schmitz-b57b951b3/.
  15. Hauf, Patrick; Foldi, Matthew. “Top Democratic Recruit Campaigns With Disgraced Former Teamster.” Washington Free Beacon. October 22, 2021. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/top-democratic-recruit-campaigns-with-disgraced-former-teamster/.
  16. Bennet, Jessica. “The Nudes Aren’t Going Away. Katie Hill’s OK With That.” New York Times. August 8, 2020. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/style/katie-hill-she-will-rise-revenge-porn.html.
  17. “Katie Hill.” Twitter. May 28, 2021. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://twitter.com/katiehill4ca/status/1398292850501206016.
  18. “Naked Politics.” Spotify. Accessed February 17, 2022. https://open.spotify.com/show/71uRR0RzxtxGZatrGZulyA.
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