Kamala Harris 'Paid More Than Double' What Was Estimated to Oprah Winfrey During her Flop White House Bid
Kamala Harris paid more than double what was expected to Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions.
Kamala Harris's campaign coughed up more than double the expected amount to Oprah Winfrey's company for a live-streamed event during this year's presidential race.
Two sources disclosed that Harris paid Winfrey Harpo Productions nearly $2.5 million for the "United for America" event in September, contrary to earlier reports claiming it only cost the Democratic candidate $1 million, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Harris shelled out $2.5 million for a livestreamed event hosted by Winfrey's production company in September, according to two sources.
Harris' campaign burned through $100 million per week during her brief presidential bid, which kicked off in late July following Joe Biden's retraction from the race.
Supporters are also still being hit with donation pleas after her almost $1.8 billion campaign left the Democratic Party $20 million in debt.
The TV personality claimed she was not paid a dime for the event and instead used the money to cover the costs and pay staff.
The extravagant spending has sparked growing concerns about the Democratic campaign, especially after their crushing loss to Republican Donald Trump – who beat Harris with 312 Electoral College votes.
Much of Harris' spending came from influencer partnerships, celebrity performances at her events, and private jet travel between battleground states.
FEC filings revealed the campaign spent $20 million – nearly the same amount as its reported debt – on concerts and celeb appearances in the final days leading up to the election.
One of the higher bills was for Winfrey, who received roughly $2.5 million for her production firm hosting a town hall with Harris in September, according to a new report from The New York Times.
The event – which got over 1.2 million views in under 12 hours – featured the TV personality interviewing the Democratic candidate on topics such as immigration and abortion rights.
Winfrey was one of the many celebrities seen endorsing Democratic candidate Harris for the 2024 election.
According to a spokesperson for Harpo Productions, the campaign "paid for the production costs of 'Unite for America,' a live streaming event that took place September 19 outside Detroit, Michigan."
They added: "Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo."
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The virtual town hall was also promoted as a celebrity event with appearances from figures like Meryl Streep, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, and Julia Roberts.
The talk show host insisted she didn’t keep any of the funds, but instead paid her team and covered the costs required for the event.
Harris' $1.8 billion campaign has left the Democratic Party $20 million in debt.
Winfrey wrote in an Instagram comment: "I was not paid a dime."
"For the livestreaming event in September, my production company, Harpo, was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, crew, producers and every other item necessary (including the benches and the chairs we sat on) to put on a live production.
"I did not take any personal fee. However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story."
Along with Winfrey, millions of dollars were also spent on celebrities such as Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Megan Thee Stallion, Bon Jovi, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, and Katy Perry.
Since Harris' costly defeat, the impact of celebrity endorsements and performances has been called into question – especially as Trump spent less on his campaign.
Donald Trump spent far less on his campaign and pulled off a landslide victory over Harris.
The Democratic campaign and pro-Democratic outside groups spent almost $1.8 billion in total, while the Trump campaign and outside groups spent $1.4 billion.
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