Vice president Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign finances have come under radar following reports that her campaign made substantial payments to Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Production Media LLC, according to records from the US Federal Election Commission accessed by USA Today.
The USA Today report highlighted a $165,000 payment to Parkwood Production Media LLC on November 19, a month after Harris and Beyoncé appeared together at an event in the singer’s hometown of Houston. The company, better known publicly as Parkwood Entertainment, is Beyoncé’s management, production, and record label, founded in 2008.
Additionally, Harris’ campaign paid $1 million to Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey’s company, in October. Federal records show two payments of $500,000 each on October 15. Winfrey addressed the matter in an Instagram video, stating, “I did not take any personal fee. However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.”
The vice president’s campaign earlier had denied providing a fee for celebrity endorsements. “We do not pay. We have never paid any artist and performer,” Adrienne Elrod , who held the position of senior adviser and senior spokesperson was quoted as saying to New York Post.
These substantial expenditures by Harris’ campaign have sparked significant criticism and raised questions about the value and effectiveness of high-profile endorsements and events, as noted by USA Today. Despite her campaign’s considerable fundraising success, Kamala Harris ultimately lost the U.S. presidential election to Republican candidate Donald Trump. The loss marked a notable defeat, especially for a candidate with such a significant financial advantage.
The report said between October 25 and November 25, the Harris campaign raised $160 million and spent $277 million. In comparison, the Trump campaign raised $87 million and spent $113 million during the same period. Both campaigns allocated the largest portion of their expenditures to media purchases, including television, online ads, and ad production, aiming to maximize voter outreach in the final days of the election. However, federal filings from the Democratic nominee’s campaign reveal a range of additional expenses, which are likely to spark post-election analysis of how Harris’ campaign spent over $1 billion but still lost to Trump.
