By Peter De Thier, Washington
After US Vice President Kamala Harris learned almost two weeks ago that her boss Joe Biden was supporting her as the Democratic candidate’s successor, she picked up her cell phone. One of her first text messages went to John Henes. She has known Henes for years as a renowned lawyer and financial expert. Harris wanted to know whether he would be willing to take over the coordination of finances for her presidential campaign. After all, the insolvency law expert on Wall Street has a network of contacts like few others. He has also supported top bankers in the past when they had to raise funds to pursue their political ambitions.
Henes agreed, immediately pulled out all the stops, and Democratic donors promptly turned on the money tap. Within 48 hours, the Vice President had almost 100 million dollars in her “war chest.” Less than a week after it was clear that she had the necessary majority of delegates and was confirmed as the candidate, donations had reached more than 200 million.
Proven insolvency law expert
The man behind the financial windfall is none other than Henes. He reports that after Biden’s exit was announced, he was inundated with hundreds of calls and text messages from leading Wall Street firms, law firms and Hollywood stars. All of them are excited about the changing of the guard at the Democratic top and want to sponsor the vice president’s campaign. Democrats are now more confident than ever before. They believe that Harris will have a significant competitive advantage over her Republican opponent Donald Trump thanks to her financial backing.
Henes is a graduate of the prestigious Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York. He began his career at the law firm Kirkland and Ellis, where the lawyer rose to the position of senior partner during a career spanning more than 20 years. He specialized in corporate takeovers, among other things. He also advised corporations from a wide range of industries on restructuring after they had filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the US bankruptcy law. His clients included car manufacturers, retail companies and media groups, as well as IT companies and cryptocurrency providers.
Among his special distinctions, Henes was the first lawyer to close two complex Chapter 11 cases within 24 hours. Before Harris, he also served as chief financial officer for Lazard and Citigroup banker Ray McGuire. McGuire ran for mayor of New York in 2021 but was eliminated in the Democratic primaries. In the same role, Henes raised funds for Senate candidate Jaime Harrison. Harrison also came away empty-handed in the election. Nevertheless, he did at least become chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
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