WASHINGTON – While Democrats surprise easy methods to do it Vice President Kamala Harris‘ dropping 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 an article by the Washington Times cited Federal Election Commission monetary information exhibiting Winfrey’s firm, Harpo Productions, acquired $1 million from Harris.
Oprah Winfrey speaks in the course of the third day of the Democratic National Convention on the United Center.
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 trade 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’ “Unite for America” livestream rally on September 19.
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 purpose was to register individuals to vote in swing states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan, all of which Harris ended up dropping within the election.
The firm, Winfrey mentioned, was requested to offer surroundings, lights, cameras, microphones, crew and producers, amongst different gadgets for the occasion. Winfrey added that she didn’t obtain a few of the cash.
Moreover: Harris raised and spent twice as a lot as Trump within the closing days of the 2024 election
“I took no private compensation,” Winfrey mentioned 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 shortly 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, should not legally allowed to donate to political campaigns whether or not by money donations or different bills, equivalent to prices related to internet hosting an occasion, and have to be reimbursed or paid.
Campaign finance information launched this week verify 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 businesses in her failed bid to win the 2024 presidential marketing campaign.
According to marketing campaign finance reviews, Harris spent an extra $575,000 to run a 90-second advert exterior the Las Vegas Sphere earlier than a rally she hosted earlier than Election Day. The marketing campaign spent tens of millions extra on tv and digital promoting in the course of the election.
Much of that spending is now beneath the microscope, as Democrats weigh Harris’ loss and the place her marketing campaign went flawed within the 2024 election.
Contribution: Sarah D. Wire
This article initially appeared on USA TODAY: Harris’ campaign paid Oprah’s company $1 million, records confirm
