From over $1 billion in funds to more than $20 mn in debt: How Team Kamala Harris messed up campaign finances

Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign team is reportedly facing a $20 million debt, despite having raised over $1 billion and holding a reported $118 million in funds as recently as October 16. The campaign is reportedly struggling to cover staff and vendor payments.

Reports reveal that the Harris campaign paid millions to celebrities to support her campaign. According to the Washington Examiner, Harris paid Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions $1 million on October 15.

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Notably, several A-listers including Lady Gaga, Jon Bon Jovi, and Katy Perry had campaigned for Harris in the recently concluded US presidentials polls in which Donald Trump got a thumping win.

Meanwhile, reports claimed that the Harris campaign invested heavily in media appearances, spending six figures to build a set for an interview on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper. The interview, filmed in a Washington, D.C., hotel room, was released in October.

The campaign also allocated up to $20 million for targeted efforts in swing states close to election day, according to the New York Post. Previously, The New York Times reported that the Harris team spent substantial funds flying banners over NFL games to attract male voters in swing states.

In a similar move, The Guardian highlighted that Harris’s campaign spent $450,000 per day on ads displayed on the Las Vegas Sphere to appeal to Nevada voters. Despite these costly strategies, the anticipated impact on voter support appeared limited.

Sources revealed that these high-cost events and endorsements have depleted campaign resources. The financial strain reportedly led the campaign to cancel a planned performance by ’90s alt-rock icon Alanis Morissette to cut expenses.

The campaign’s “Concert for the Vote” series featured major artists like Bon Jovi in Detroit, Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas, Katy Perry in Pittsburgh, and Lady Gaga in Philadelphia, aimed at energizing voters ahead of the election. An eighth concert, held three days before the election on November 2, featured rapper 2 Chainz in Atlanta.