Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak next week at a Napa Valley event for corporate CEOs hosted by Consello, an advisory firm founded and run by Declan Kelly.

The booking has drawn sharp criticism because Kelly resigned in disgrace from his previous company, Teneo, in 2021 after reports that he became intoxicated at a charity concert afterparty and engaged in non-consensual touching of multiple women.

Former employees of Kelly’s firms have criticized Obama’s decision to speak at the event. One former employee described the choice as “disgusting,” while another argued that President Obama should not be helping rehabilitate Kelly’s reputation or accepting money from someone accused of groping multiple people at a charity event.

The controversy stems from Kelly’s deep ties to Democratic politics. He served as special economic envoy to Northern Ireland under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the Obama administration from 2009 to 2011 and advised Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign. Teneo, the firm he co-founded with Doug Band, a former aide to President Bill Clinton, was one of the most connected advisory shops in Democratic politics.

Following the incident, Kelly resigned from Teneo, stepped down from the Global Citizen board, and lost major sponsorships including those with General Motors. The fallout included the termination of Teneo’s philanthropic contributions to Global Citizen and the end of its sponsorship agreement.

Critics argue that Obama’s decision to speak at an event organized by Kelly is a reputational choice rather than a routine speech. They note that the audience, setting, and organizer all make this appearance particularly contentious given Kelly’s history.

The former president, who built his political brand on being a champion of women and a voice against harassment, has faced criticism for lending his name to an event tied to a man with a documented history of misconduct.