During Kamala Harris’s stint as California’s top prosecutor, few knew her better than Travis LeBlanc — the special assistant attorney general of California and one of her most senior advisers.
While working for Harris, LeBlanc’s responsibilities included tech regulation, cybersecurity, privacy, and antitrust. Yahoo Finance spoke to LeBlanc exclusively about Harris's moves during her tenure from 2011 to 2017, including her business track record and pro-growth approach to tech companies.
“She is mindful that there are large players and small players in tech, and those aren't the same,” LeBlanc said. “One of the biggest concerns is that disruptors are given an opportunity to succeed, and that they aren't squelched by either an incumbent or a very large player in the market before they've had a chance to flourish.”
Insight into a Harris administration
Last week, the US Dept. of Justice ruled that Google ( GOOGL , GOOG ) violated an antitrust law with its search business. The ruling, a major victory for the Biden administration, could serve as a template for future cases. However, Harris has so far stayed silent on what an antitrust environment would look like if she were elected president.
LeBlanc said one of Harris's biggest goals has always been “giving disruptors an opportunity to compete, recognizing that the incentives of incumbents and larger companies may be to use the power of the government to help exclude them from competing in the marketplace.”
In 2012, Harris sued and reached a $3.75 million settlement with eBay ( EBAY ) over allegations the company violated anti-competitive laws regarding a no-poaching agreement with Intuit.
One of the biggest antitrust cases Harris handled came in late 2011 when she successfully blocked AT&T’s buyout of T-Mobile’s US operations. At the time, Harris joined 10 other states that banded together following several meetings with AT&T's leadership.
“That was a very big deal,” LeBlanc said. “T-Mobile used that to become the T-Mobile that we know of today. They now compete directly with AT&T and Verizon.”
While her prosecutorial record in California provides some hints on how she would run the country, LeBlanc and several former staffers Yahoo Finance spoke to describe Harris as an effective communicator who wouldn’t always use litigation as a tool.
One of Harris's key accomplishments as attorney general was in 2012 when her office reached an agreement with six tech giants: Apple ( AAPL ), Amazon ( AMZN ), Google, Microsoft ( MSFT ), HP ( HPQ ), and Research In Motion, requiring the companies to include clear privacy policies for users before they downloaded apps.
“I can't imagine that today those companies would all sign an agreement with any attorney general or department of justice,” LeBlanc said. “It was a real testament to her ability to convene, to work with the stakeholders, and to try and achieve a resolution that would benefit everyone.”
As vice president, Harris has played a key role in the Biden administration’s efforts around artificial intelligence.
“President Biden and I reject the false choice that suggests we can either protect the public or advance innovation,” Harris said at the Global Summit on AI Safety in London last year. “We can and we must do both.”
LeBlanc said a Harris administration would likely continue parts of Biden’s AI policies, adding she will “be mindful that the technology is evolving, and if we're going to regulate it, we need to do so in a way that’s nimble, so that we don't end up impeding the progress of technology in the future in ways that no one intended today.”
Big Tech vs the FTC
When Harris was running to become California’s attorney general in 2010, wealthy supporters included Salesforce ( CRM )’s Marc Benioff, Apple’s Jony Ive, Meta ( META )’s Sheryl Sandberg, and the wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs (who is also the founder and president of Emerson Collective ).
On Sunday, Harris returned to the city where her political career began for a fundraiser. It was her first trip back to San Francisco since rising to the top of the Democratic ticket. “This is a room full of dear, dear, dear friends,” Harris said to the gathering of Silicon Valley elites. She raised $13 million that day.
The pro-Harris movement in tech includes donations and endorsements from Netflix ( NFLX )’s Reed Hastings, Sheryl Sandberg, Box ( BOX )’s Aaron Levie, Khosla Venture's Vinod Khosla, and Melinda French Gates, among others.
But Harris faces a delicate balance between appeasing her donors and regulating the tech industry. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who donated $7 million to her campaign, told CNN last month that if Harris is elected she should replace Lina Khan, head of the Federal Trade Commission.
Khan’s term expires in September and her future as FTC chair remains unknown. Hoffman sits on the board of Microsoft — a company with a history of clashing with the FTC. According to Hoffman, Harris should elect a new antitrust chief, as Khan is “waging a war on American business.”
When asked if Hoffman or the opinion of her deep-pocketed tech donors would impact Harris's decision on who should lead the FTC, LeBlanc said, “I think she will ultimately make any personnel decisions based on who she thinks is the right person for the job.”
Former staffers say Harris helped shape Silicon Valley — and Silicon Valley shaped Harris, who once campaigned on being the “sheriff of Silicon Valley.” It remains to be seen if she will have the same moniker if she’s elected commander in chief.
Yasmin Khorram is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow Yasmin on Twitter/X @YasminKhorram and on LinkedIn . Send newsworthy tips to Yasmin: yasmin.khorram@yahooinc.com