WASHINGTON – While Democrats surprise easy methods to do it Vice President Kamala Harris‘ shedding marketing campaign spent greater than $1 billion, a brand new marketing campaign finance report confirms that the Democratic presidential candidate’s marketing campaign paid Oprah Winfrey’s manufacturing firm $1 million.
Records put an finish to a dispute that lasted months about whether or not Winfrey was paid for endorsing the previous Democratic presidential candidate.
Rumors erupted in November that Harris’ marketing campaign paid the previous discuss present host for her endorsement after a historical past of the Washington Times cited Federal Election Commission monetary information displaying Winfrey’s firm, Harpo Productions, acquired $1 million from Harris.
Winfrey he denied all charges who acquired cash from the Harris marketing campaign when paparazzi requested her in mid-November whether or not she had been paid for her endorsement. “It’s not true. They did not pay me something, by no means“, he then replied.
But shortly after a video of the change was posted on Instagram, Winfrey sought to make clear. Commenting on the video, he defined that his firm, Harpo Productions, was paid for its work serving to produce Harris’”United for Americareside streaming rally on September nineteenth.
The occasion, co-hosted with activist group Win with Black Women, featured notable celebrities together with comic Chris Rock together with actors Ben Stiller, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep and Bryan Cranston. The aim was to register individuals to vote in swing states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan, all of which Harris ended up shedding within the election.
The firm, Winfrey stated, was requested to supply surroundings, lights, cameras, microphones, crew and producers, amongst different gadgets for the occasion. Winfrey added that she didn’t obtain among the cash.
Moreover: Harris raised and spent twice as much as Trump in the final days of the 2024 election
“I took no private compensation,” Winfrey stated in her remark. “However, the individuals who labored on that manufacturing needed to be paid. And they had been. End of story.”
Harris’ marketing campaign aides rapidly got here to Winfrey’s protection. Adrienne Elrod, senior advisor and senior spokesperson to the previous Democratic nominee, he told the publication Deadline that the marketing campaign had by no means paid an artist or performer at one in every of its occasions, apart from for prices related to journey or different “incidental prices.”
Companies, like Harpo, aren’t legally allowed to donate to political campaigns whether or not by way of money donations or different bills, akin to prices related to internet hosting an occasion, and should be reimbursed or paid.
Campaign finance information launched this week affirm that Harpo Productions acquired two $500,000 funds from the Harris marketing campaign for its work on the September occasion. The funds had been a part of tens of millions of {dollars} Harris lavished on main manufacturing corporations and promoting companies in her failed bid to win the 2024 presidential marketing campaign.
