Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will endorse Hillary Clinton during a speech at the Democratic convention this week, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
Howard Wolfson, a senior adviser to Bloomberg, told the New York Times that the former mayor will back Clinton “from the perspective of a business leader and an independent.”
“As the nation’s leading independent and a pragmatic business leader, Mike has supported candidates from both sides of the aisle,” he said. “This week in Philadelphia, he will make a strong case that the clear choice in this election is Hillary Clinton.”
Clinton spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri confirmed to the Times that Bloomberg would speak at the convention, and said he will bring “a unique and important voice that lays out the choice in this election.”
The Clinton campaign approached Bloomberg about speaking at the convention, and he agreed, Wolfson told the Times.
Bloomberg, an independent, reportedly considered launch a presidential bid in 2016 but decided against it. Bloomberg was a Democrat before running for New York City mayor as a Republican in 2001. He then became an independent while serving as mayor in 2007.