In the early stages of her career, Kamala Harris, then a 29-year-old employee at the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, reportedly received lavish gifts from her older lover, a California lawmaker.
These gifts, which included trips to Paris and the Oscars, as well as a BMW car, are said to have played a significant role in propelling Harris' political career.
According to The Post Millennial, Harris was romantically involved with Willie Brown, who was 60 at the time and serving as the speaker of the California Assembly. The San Francisco Chronicle referred to Harris as "the speakers new steady," and their relationship was reportedly a common topic of discussion in the city. The Los Angeles Times described Harris as a "frequent companion" of Brown's, and many Capitol insiders referred to Harris as "Browns girlfriend."
As Brown prepared to step down from his role as California Assembly speaker in November 1994, he appointed Harris to the California Medical Assistance Commission, a position that paid $72,000 at the time, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Adjusted for inflation, this salary would be approximately $150,000 in 2024. Brown also appointed Harris to the State Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, which offered a yearly salary of $97,088, equivalent to over $200,000 in 2024. Harris resigned from the board after six months to accept the position on the Medical Assistance Commission.
Brown, who served as the mayor of San Francisco from 1996 to 2004, has publicly endorsed Harris for President. In a 2019 article for the Chronicle titled "Sure, I dated Kamala Harris. So what?" Brown admitted, "Yes, I may have influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was Assembly speaker. And I certainly helped her first race for district attorney in San Francisco."
Harris was elected as the San Francisco district attorney in 2023 and later became the state attorney general in 2010. She was reelected in 2014 and left the office in 2017 to serve as a U.S. junior senator from California.
In his 2021 book, Kamalas Way: An American Life, journalist Dean Morain wrote, "Over the course of the relationship, Brown gave Harris a BMW, she traveled with him to Paris, attended the Academy Awards." He also noted that Brown once took Harris on a business trip to Boston to meet with Donald Trump.
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