| Uber's effort to land political allies for its "bare-knuckled global expansion" from 2013 to 2017 included lobbying efforts that directly targeted President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a joint media investigation published Sunday. Why it matters: Uber's history of challenging or ignoring local laws and regulations has long been a matter of record. But, as Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes, the fresh report highlights that Uber was courting high-level officials even as in some cases it was flouting the orders of local governments. How it happened: The latest revelations came from a Guardian-led probe that was shared with the nonprofit International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and a number of outlets, including the Washington Post. By the numbers: Investigative journalists analyzed 124,000 leaked records for "the Uber Files," including those of more than 100 meetings between the San Francisco-based firm's executives and public officials from 2014 to 2016. Zoom in: Then-Vice President Biden appears to have "tweaked" a 2016 Davos speech following a meeting with Travis Kalanick, Uber's CEO at the time. The speech praised the firm for enabling workers the "freedom to work as many hours as they wish, manage their own lives as they wish," according to the report. - President Macron was described by an Uber lobbyist as a "true ally" for his relationship with the company when he was economy minister from 2014-16 — including striking a deal with lawmakers in the French Cabinet who were opposed to the firm.
- Macron also allegedly promised to intervene after a French official banned Uber in Marseille in a test message, stating "I will look at this personally. At this point, let's stay calm."
The other side: Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged in a statement that "mistakes" had been made, but added that the company had transformed under the leadership of Dara Khosrowshahi, who became CEO in 2017. - "We ask the public to judge us by what we've done over the last five years and what we will do in the years to come," Uber said.
The big picture: The investigation builds on earlier allegations against Uber, such as its use of technology to thwart police raids, citing correspondence from Kalanick during a police raid in Amsterdam stating: "Please hit the kill switch ASAP ... Access must be shut down in AMS (Amsterdam)." - It also outlines how some Uber executives "sought to spin" reports of violence against drivers to the company's advantage in the media and adds more details on the company's channeling of money through tax havens, including Bermuda.
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