Oprah Winfrey responded on Tuesday to rumors circulating that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign spent $20 million on celebrity appearance fees, saying it is “not true” that she was paid $1 million to endorse the veep in her truncated White House bid.
The media mogul was approached by news outlet TMZ as she was just completing a hike in Los Angeles. The reporter asked her about Harris’ loss to Donald Trump last week and if she was “paid $1 million for the endorsement” of the vice president. Rumors began to swirl about this alleged payday after a report in the Washington Times on Monday pointed to Federal Election Commission records which the outlet said show $20 million for events paid to media production companies, but that the role they played is “uncertain.”
“Not true,” Winfrey says as she’s questioned by the reporter about payment for her endorsement while walking to her car unaccompanied, apparently after a solo hike. The billionaire then said that she “was paid nothing — ever.”
Throughout the Harris campaign, Winfrey made several high-profile appearances on behalf of the vice president. After delivering a sharp keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention, the former queen of daytime television held a celebrity-heavy town hall event in mid-October; the $1 million check was sent to Harpo Productions on Oct. 15, FEC records indicate. Finally, she spoke at the Harris rally in Philadelphia on Election Day eve.
The article also points out that other event production payments from the campaign coincide with a Georgia appearance by 2 Chainz and The Isley Brothers in Wisconsin. Over the final weeks of Harris’ bid, Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin performed at a Philadelphia rally, Katy Perry sang at a concert in Pittsburgh and Jon Bon Jovi played a Detroit gig at a Harris rally.
The Times reports that marketing firm Viva Creative, organizer of campaign events, was paid $1.7 million for event production in September and October. The article casts doubt on these payments, stating that the company’s roles are uncertain. However, they are firms that handle scene design, venue management, lighting and various other event planning elements.
Democrats are reeling from Harris’ loss to Trump and now pointing fingers at each other as they reconsider the emphasis on star power, on which the campaign went all-in but did not seem to gain the candidate much traction with voters.
Emails sent to two representatives for the Harris campaign asking whether payments were made to celebrity guests from the campaign were not immediately returned on Tuesday.
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