A bombshell allegation from President Donald Trump claims Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign made illegal payments to high-profile celebrities for their endorsements during the 2024 election.
According to Breitbart, Trump posted on Truth Social that the Democratic campaign admitted to paying millions to celebrities, including Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Al Sharpton, for endorsements. The president emphasized that paying for endorsements is "totally illegal" and called for prosecution of those involved.
Federal Election Commission records show Harris's campaign, which ended $20 million in debt despite raising $1 billion, made substantial payments to various celebrities and their organizations. The payments included $165,000 to Beyoncé's production company, $1 million to Winfrey's company, and $500,000 to Sharpton's National Action Network.
Harris's campaign strongly denies any wrongdoing in their financial dealings with the celebrities. The campaign maintains that all payments were legitimate and properly documented in their financial records.
Trump's social media post specifically highlighted an $11 million payment allegedly made to Beyoncé, who he claims "never sang, not one note, and left the stage to a booing and angry audience." The former president also mentioned a $3 million payment for "expenses" to Oprah Winfrey.
Oprah Winfrey has publicly denied receiving the alleged $1 million payment from the Harris campaign, despite appearing alongside the vice president at multiple campaign events, including a televised town hall and a Philadelphia rally.
The Washington Examiner confirmed a $1 million payment to Winfrey's company was made on October 15, raising questions about the nature of celebrity involvement in political campaigns.
National Action Network, Al Sharpton's civil rights organization, received two separate payments totaling $500,000 from the Harris campaign. These payments were made on September 5 and October 1.
Shortly after receiving the payments, Sharpton conducted what Trump described as a "softball" interview with Harris on his MSNBC show PoliticsNation on October 20.
The president has called for a "major investigation" into the Harris campaign's financial dealings with entertainment figures. He specifically questioned the legitimacy of payments made under the guise of entertainment expenses.
Trump suggested the payments were part of a "desperate effort" by the Harris campaign to artificially inflate crowd sizes at campaign events. He emphasized that such payments, if made for endorsements, would violate campaign finance laws.
Bruce Springsteen's involvement has also come under scrutiny, with Trump questioning whether the musician accepted payment for what he termed a "poor performance" during Harris's campaign.
The controversy has sparked intense debate about the role of celebrity endorsements in political campaigns. The allegations have brought attention to the complex relationship between entertainment figures and political candidates.
These accusations come at a time when campaign finance regulations are under increased scrutiny. The situation highlights the challenges of distinguishing between legitimate campaign expenses and potentially illegal payments for endorsements.
The outcome of this controversy could have significant implications for future political campaigns and their relationships with celebrity supporters, potentially leading to stricter regulations on campaign spending and endorsements.
