A Polish state-owned bank is giving millions of dollars to United States public relations with links to the Democratic Party as a part of its global campaign to boost Western support for the war in Ukraine.
Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), a state-owned bank in Poland, has hired two U.S.-based public relations companies, AMW PR and MikeWorldWide, both of which maintain close links with the Democratic Party, for what it calls a “global campaign to inform the general public about the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine,” the online news portal Military Monitoring reports.
The state-owned bank has budgeted $3 million for an influence campaign which is to be conducted by MikeWorldWide. The New Jersey-based PR firm will use the money to pay for media exposure, including advertisements on Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify, as well as sponsored content that will be featured on news outlets like the state-funded National Public Radio (NPR), USA Today, and Vox.
Of the $3 million, $500,000 will go to the PR firm’s fees and out-of-pocket expenses. Another $1 million is to be used for social media ad campaigns and sponsored content featured in various US media outlets. The campaign’s goal is to reach an audience of 40 million people. The last $1 million has been set aside for so-called influencers so long as they can reach 10 million people.
Michael Kempner, the CEO of MikeWorldWide, is well-known for his political contributions to and fundraising efforts for the Democratic Party.
Additionally, as a part of its global influence campaign, Poland’s state-owned bank contracted the New York City-based AMW Public Relations to “pitch the refugee and humanitarian crisis brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The president and CEO of AMW Public Relations, Adam Weiss, also has strong links to the Democratic Party. Weiss has served in a senior role at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and has run political action programs at leading progressive organizations.
As a part of its six-month $150,000 agreement with BGK, AMW will contract journalists, producers, bloggers, and podcasters in the U.S. and Canada to “create clear messaging that aligns with Poland’s values and mission.”
