Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign shelled out nearly $2.5 million to Oprah Winfrey’s production company for the celeb-packed town hall it hosted — more than double the initial estimate reported.
It was originally surmised that Winfrey’s company Harpo Productions had been paid around $1 million for the talk show legend’s September town hall with Harris, but a new report shows that the dollar amount was greatly underestimated.
Two people familiar with the matter told the New York Times that Winfrey’s company had actually been paid closer to $2.5 million — still a mere fraction of Harris’ estimated $1.5 billion campaign spending.
The famous TV star has denied receiving any personal payments from the Democrat’s team and a former adviser to the Harris campaign also said they did not pay anyone for their appearances or support.
Winfrey said she did not pocket any of the money and used it to pay her team. She also noted that the Harris team was charged for what they required for the town hall.
“I was not paid a dime. For the live-streaming event in September, my production company Harpo was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, crew, producers and every other item necessary (including the benches and the chairs we sat on) to put on a live production. I did not take any personal fee,” Winfrey wrote on Instagram.
“However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.”
The Harris campaign broke records for the most donations compiled in the shortest amount of time. Now, it’s also likely one of the most expensive to date, with her campaign blowing through $1.5 billion in 15 weeks.
Her exorbitant budget also saddled the Democratic Party with a $20 million debt.
The money largely went towards the campaign’s aggressive advertising, as it had to squeeze a year of rallying into three months after Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee. There was also grassroots campaigning, inescapable social media advertising, and reeling in celebrities and influencers like Winfrey.
The star-studded support included famous artists like Beyonce and Lady Gaga.
Other billed purchases include nearly $9,000 worth of ice cream from high-end shops, $15,000 in food delivery services, and a staggering $2.6 million in private jet travel during her two-week push in battleground states in October.
President-elect Donald Trump trounced Harris in the election, garnering 312 electoral votes. The US Senate and House of Representatives also tipped, making for a Republican majority across the board.
Trump had an estimated budget of $720 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. He spent his time on the campaign trail appearing on a series of online shows, including The Joe Rogan Experience, the top-ranking podcast on most charts.
