Vice President Kamala Harris‘Campaign expenses Oprah WinfreyHosting production company town hall events About $2.5 million, significantly higher than initial projections.
The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, said Harpo Productions received nearly $2.5 million, instead of the $1 million previously estimated for September’s City Hall starring Harris. The amount represents a fraction of Harris’ $1.5 billion in total campaign spending.
The TV personality clarified that she received no personal compensation from the Democratic campaign, a statement corroborated by Harris’ former campaign adviser, who confirmed that no payments were made for appearances or endorsements.
Winfrey explained in an Instagram post that the funds were used to cover production costs, “I didn’t get a dime. For the September live event, my production company Harpo was asked to bring in set design, lighting, cameras, I received no personal fees for the crew, producers and all other items needed to run the live production (including the benches and chairs we sat on).
She further emphasized, “However, the people involved in this production need to be paid. And yes. End of story.”
The Harris campaign set a record for rapid fundraising, with cumulative spending totaling $1.5 billion in 15 weeks. Democratic Party A deficit of $20 million.
The massive budget is largely devoted to an intensive advertising campaign, necessitated by the squeeze on time after Harris was named Biden’s successor. The campaign features extensive grassroots publicity, ubiquitous social media presence and celebrity endorsements including Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.
Additional expenses include about $9,000 for a fancy ice cream parlor, $15,000 for a food delivery service and $2.6 million for private jet travel during a trip to battleground states in October.
