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The Walt Disney Company announced that Kristina Schake, who led President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine education efforts, has been hired as Executive Vice President of Global Communications.
In her new role, Schake, who also served as Global Communications Director for Instagram, will be “responsible for the company’s global communications strategy and operations while serving as lead spokesperson,” Disney said.
The Walt Disney Co. logo appears on a screen above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
‘SILENT MAJORITY’ DISNEY WORKER GOES AGAINST COMPANY’S POSITION ON FLORIDA LAW, SAYS PERSONNEL REPORTS MEMBER
“I couldn’t be happier to welcome Kristina to Disney and have her lead communications for the company,” Morrell said in a statement.
Schake was appointed by Biden as adviser to the secretary for strategic communications at the Department of Health and Human Services in 2021, stepping down at the end of the year. Previously, she was Deputy Director of Communications for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and Special Assistant to former President Obama and Director of Communications to former First Lady Michelle Obama.
The grand opening ceremony for Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, December 6, 2012. (REUTERS/Scott Audette/File Photo)
Schake’s entry into the company comes amid Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s opposition to Florida’s Parents’ Rights in Education bill, recently signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The law bars Florida teachers from teaching very young students — from kindergarten through third grade — about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek on May 8, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus)
Although critics branded it a “Don’t Say Gay” law, the measure does not ban the word “gay” in schools.
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Disney condemned the bill in an official statement late last month.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ statute, should never have been passed and should never have been enacted into law,” the statement said. Posted on the Walt Disney Company Twitter page. “Our goal as a company is to have this law repealed by the legislature or struck down in court, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to make that happen.”
According to a December 2017 New York Times article, while dating the Clinton campaign, actress Lena Dunham Schake warned that disgraced former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, a Clinton supporter, was a rapist.
Dunham, concerned about Weinstein’s “visible presence during Clinton’s run,” she told Schake, “I think it’s a really bad idea for him to have fundraisers and get involved because it’s an open secret in Hollywood that he has a problem with sex assault.” She said Schake seemed surprised and said she would tell Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook.
Schake denied Dunham mentioned rape, and Mook said no one warned him about Weinstein, according to the Times.
Fox News’ Maureen Mackey and Keith Koffler contributed to this article.