Buttigieg’s campaign paid $42,500 to Shadow
Inc. for text messaging software in July. Other
Democrats, including former Vice President
Joe Biden, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and the
Texas Democratic Party, have contracted with
Shadow for similar services, federal campaign
finance data show.
The Buttigieg campaign did not help develop
the app used in Iowa, a campaign spokesman
confirmed Tuesday to the AP.
In a statement on Twitter, Shadow Inc.
apologized for the delays and confirmed it had
“contracted with the Iowa Democratic Party to
build a caucus reporting mobile app for local
officials to use” Monday.
State fundraising reports from Iowa’s
Democratic Party show party officials
paid more than $63,000 to the same firm
in November and December for
“professional fees.”
The Iowa results were backed up by paper
ballots, which is what the Iowa Democratic
Party is using to verify the results. Figures
reflecting 71% of precincts in the state were
released by Tuesday night.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat who is
vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee
on Intelligence, warned that foreign groups
looking to destabilize the U.S. could try to
exploit the doubts and fears spread online
over the Iowa results. He said the Iowa episode
should serve as an “early warning sign” that
Congress, local election officials and social
media platforms must do more to protect
election integrity.