Top Democrat officials worried tens of millions in Harris campaign debt could be their problem: report
The recent election campaign of Democratic Party officials Harris-Walz has stirred up concerns within the party due to the massive debt left behind by the campaign. Despite raising over $1 billion before Election Day, the campaign finished with tens of millions of dollars in debt, leaving party officials questioning where the funds were allocated.
Reports have revealed that the campaign made substantial payments to celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, with two payments of $500,000 each made to her production company, Harpo. Additionally, the campaign spent millions on event production, social media influence, and digital media consultants. The campaign also reportedly spent six figures on appearing on the popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast, despite the episode garnering fewer than 1 million views on YouTube.
Party officials are now scrutinizing the campaign’s spending, trying to understand how such a large amount of money was raised without winning any swing states. One Harris aide admitted to Axios that they had lost the national narrative and needed to diagnose the issue.
The Harris campaign had expected a delayed result on Election Day and planned to continue fundraising as votes were counted in the following days. However, the reality was far from their expectations, as President-elect Trump emerged victorious.
Despite denials from Winfrey herself, Harpo claimed that the payments were meant to cover production costs for events surrounding the campaign. The campaign also allocated $4 million to Village Marketing Agency, a company connecting clients with social media influencers. Celebrities like Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, and Jennifer Lopez joined Harris on the campaign trail, adding to the extensive list of high-profile endorsements.
The campaign’s spending on event production, digital media consultants, and celebrity appearances raised eyebrows among party officials. Lindy Li, a Harris surrogate and DNC National Finance Committee member, called the campaign an “epic disaster” and a “$1 billion disaster.”
As the party grapples with the aftermath of the campaign, questions remain about how such a significant amount of money was spent without achieving the desired results. The focus now shifts to analyzing the campaign’s missteps and ensuring that future campaigns are more strategic and cost-effective.
