Oprah town hall cost Harris campaign far more than initially claimed: report
A new report revealed Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign paid more than double what was previously reported for the Oprah Winfrey town hall event.
FEC filings, first reported by the Washington Examiner, show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Winfrey’s Harpo Productions on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey’s town hall with Harris and weeks before the pair appeared at a Harris Philadelphia rally. Now, two sources have told The New York Times the full price of the event with Winfrey was closer to $2.5 million.
Harris’ campaign spent $1.5 billion, or $100 million per week during her 15-week presidential run, according to the Times. Democrat donors say they are still being bombarded with requests, and the Democratic Party is reportedly $20 million in debt from the failed campaign.
Some of the reported spending included nearly $9,000 in ice cream from high-end shops like Sweet Lucy’s Ice Cream and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE CRITICIZES HARRIS CAMPAIGN FOR PAYING MASSIVE SUMS TO OPRAH WINFREY, OTHER CELEBS
VP Kamala Harris (L) joins Oprah Winfrey at a ‘Unite for America’ live streaming rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on September 19, 2024. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Harris’ campaign reportedly used almost $15,000 on food delivery services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash from July through the end of the race in early November, the Times reported.
HARRIS PAID OPRAH $1 MILLION IN FAILED BID TO HELP CAMPAIGN: REPORT
Oprah Winfrey hugs Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 4, 2024. (REUTERS/Rachel Wisniewski)
During a two-week period in October, Harris’ campaign reportedly spent $2.6 million on travel aboard private jets.
The campaign also spent $900,000 to reserve ad space on Las Vegas’ Sphere in the final week of the election, although she still lost Nevada by three points.
The bulk of the extravagant spending reportedly went to celebrity appearances and performances and influencer partnerships meant to boost campaign events.
Winfrey, a billionaire, insisted she was “paid nothing” when confronted by TMZ.
Oprah Winfrey (L) holds up VP Kamala Harris’ hand as she arrives onstage during a campaign rally on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, on November 4, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
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A Harpo Productions spokesperson acknowledged to Variety that the company took money from the campaign but claimed it was for “production costs.”
“Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo,” the spokesperson said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
