McKinsey to allow Buttigieg to disclose identity of his consulting clients
International consulting firm McKinsey & Company will allow South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg to disclose the identity of his clients when he worked at the firm from 2007-2010, the company said Monday.
A spokesperson for McKinsey said in a statement that while confidentiality agreements are fundamental to building trust with their clients, the firm recognizes "the unique circumstances presented by a presidential campaign."
"After receiving permission from the relevant clients, we have informed Mayor Buttigieg that he may disclose the identity of the clients he served while at McKinsey from 2007 to 2010," the spokesperson said.
Lis Smith, senior communications adviser for Buttigieg's presidential campaign, tweeted that the campaign would be releasing a list of Buttigieg's clients "soon."
"In this instance, @PeteButtigieg is being transparent about his private sector work AND keeping his word- two things you will never hear said about our current President," Smith wrote.
On Friday, Buttigieg called on his former employer to waive his nondisclosure agreement after facing criticism for not discussing his clients while working at the firm.
"I am today reiterating my request that McKinsey release me from this agreement, and I again make clear that I authorize them to release the full list of clients I was assigned to serve," Buttigieg said in a statement on Friday.
Buttigieg also provided descriptions of the projects he worked on and a timeline of his work at the firm. McKinsey confirmed that the client list that the mayor described in his statement on Friday is accurate. However, any further disclosure by Buttigieg about his clients mustn't reveal "confidential, proprietary or classified information obtained during the course of that work, or violate any security clearance," the McKinsey spokesperson said.