Vice President Kamala Harris has come under fire for her extravagant spending during her presidential campaign, despite boasting about raising a "historic" $1.4 billion from grassroots supporters.
Critics have pointed out that the funds were squandered on celebrity appearances, costly advertising campaigns, and a high-profile ad on the Las Vegas sphere.
In a video message to her supporters, Harris proudly announced that her campaign had received almost $1.5 billion from grassroots supporters, which she claimed was "the most in presidential campaign history." She added, "Nearly eight million donors contributed an average donation of about $56 to fuel our people-powered campaign."
However, the Vice President's spending habits have been met with criticism. As reported by the Daily Mail, the campaign's expenditures included celebrity-filled concert rallies in swing states and expensive ad campaigns. One notable expense was the lighting up of the Las Vegas "Sphere" for a staggering $900,000.
Prominent Democratic megadonor John Morgan, a successful trial lawyer, expressed his frustration with the campaign's spending on Chris Cuomo's show 'CUOMO' on NewsNation. "All of a sudden, everybody's got the keys to the candy store, ad buyers, talent consultants. There's 100 days to do it, and the money started pouring in, pouring in," he lamented.
Morgan criticized some of the campaign's extravagant spending decisions, including ad-buys in his home state of Florida and a barrage of ads in a failed attempt to prevent Donald Trump's return to the White House. He also questioned the motives behind some of the costs. "She had all these consultants. And if you don't run the ads, you don't get paid for the buy. Nine hundred thousand to put her face on the sphere in Las Vegas! The ego, the crazy, the commissions," he complained.
Other questionable campaign expenses included up to $4 million on private jets, $1 million to Oprah Winfrey's production company Harpo studios, $5,000 to a California nail artist, and more. The campaign also spent a whopping $654 million on advertising, according to AdImpact.
Harris's campaign also reportedly spent six figures on building a set for her October appearance on the popular podcast 'Call Her Daddy', hosted by Alex Cooper. The episode was filmed in a hotel room in Washington DC, with crews building the set to mimic Cooper's actual set in Los Angeles.
In a controversial move, the Harris campaign donated half a million dollars to a non-profit founded by longtime on-air personality Rev. Al Sharpton just before he interviewed her. This decision has raised questions about the credibility of cable news network MSNBC, where Sharpton is a host.
The National Action Network, a civil rights non-profit founded by Sharpton in 1991, received $500,000 from the Harris campaign just weeks before Sharpton conducted a highly-anticipated interview with Harris. This has led to backlash from journalists who claim that the outlet now has a "black eye."
Despite the criticism, Harris continues to solicit donations to pay off a campaign debt reported to be as high as $20 million. In her video message to supporters, she stated that her "fight for freedom, for opportunity, included 'almost four million first-time contributors to our campaign'."
In the wake of her defeat, Harris has retreated to Hawaii for a post-election vacation, while President-elect Donald Trump has begun his transition by naming a flurry of Cabinet appointees. Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, spent six days at a $1,300-a-night vacation property on Hawaii's big island, owned by a scion of the Mondavi wine family.
Despite the controversy surrounding her campaign spending, Harris remains defiant. In her video message, she urged her supporters, "Don't you ever let anybody take your power from you. You have the same power that you did before November 5th." She added, "And you have the same purpose that you did. And you have the same ability to engage and inspire. So don't ever let anybody or any circumstance take your power from you."
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