Blitz Canvassing’s representative, Tim Pollard, informed WIRED that their subcontractors should not have transported canvassers in a U-Haul van, and those responsible were swiftly reprimanded. Following the publication of a WIRED article on Wednesday, October 30, Muldrow and her colleagues engaged in door-to-door canvassing were dismissed.
Initial difficulties occurred with logging into Campaign Sidekick, the canvassing app deployed by America PAC. Confusion ensued until the workers were finally informed about the situation: “Everyone is fired,” stated Jones, the manager of the door knockers, in a GroupMe chat, as evidenced by screenshots provided to WIRED. Jones did not respond to requests for comments.
Although Muldrow initially perceived the firing notice as a possible joke from Jones, some canvassers reported being locked out of the Campaign Sidekick app according to the group chat. Muldrow immediately contacted her mother for advice. Her mother suggested that Jones, being Muldrow’s cousin, might be teasing. Her mother reassured her that Jones would not leave her stranded and would arrange her flight home.
Subsequently, Jones enquired among the door knockers to identify who had spoken to the press. As discussions intensified, Muldrow began fearing for her safety. She gathered her belongings and reached out to Connor Berdy, a political consultant from Warren, Michigan, and founder of Vote For Change LLC, recognized for his work in community organization.
Muldrow and Berdy, who organizes canvassing for school board, county commission, and judicial candidates, initially met on October 23 when one of his employees conversed with Muldrow during her canvassing activities. Muldrow later shared her experiences with Berdy about how her group of canvassers was misled, threatened, and transported in U-Hauls to their canvassing sites.
Berdy criticized management for failing to prioritize the workers’ safety and the operation’s integrity. To help Muldrow, Berdy posed as an Uber driver to safely extract her from the precarious situation. He personally financed Muldrow’s flight back to Florida.
