The Harris-Walz campaign directed $500,000 to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network just weeks before Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for a softball interview with the civil rights leader. Federal Election Commission records show two donations of $250,000 each made on Sept. 5 and Oct. 1, as part of a broader campaign push to engage Black and Latino voters.
These donations were part of $5.4 million allocated to minority activist organizations, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
Harris Secures Friendly Interview After Donations
Harris, 60, appeared on Sharpton’s “PoliticsNation” on Oct. 20, three weeks after the donations, where Sharpton praised her, comparing her to Shirley Chisholm, a pioneering Black congresswoman and presidential candidate.
During the interview, Harris sidestepped critiques of her perceived progressiveness, maintaining the rapport she has held with Sharpton for decades. Earlier in October, she appeared in a video celebrating Sharpton’s birthday, calling him a “voice of truth.”
Campaign Finances Under Scrutiny
With Harris losing key voter demographics, particularly Black and Latino men, questions have arisen over the campaign’s financial decisions. Harris-Walz reportedly spent $1 billion by mid-October, yet lost all seven battleground states to President-elect Trump, who gained 21% of the Black male vote and 54% of the Latino male vote, per exit polls. The campaign ended with a $20 million deficit despite a massive $1.6 billion in total backing, dwarfing Trump’s $1 billion combined total.
Controversial Spending Amid Election Loss
The Harris campaign’s spending choices extended beyond Sharpton’s nonprofit. Records reveal expenditures of $2 million to the National Urban League, $150,000 to the Black Economic Alliance, and $120,000 to Casa in Action. The Washington Examiner also reported post-election that Harris-Walz spent $1 million with Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and substantial funds on a custom set for Harris’s appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. Winfrey has denied personally receiving funds from the campaign’s payments to her company.
The financial moves by Harris’s team, intended to bolster minority support, have drawn intense scrutiny following her election loss, with critics questioning the return on these massive investments.
