Kamala Harris' campaign 'never paid' any artist for celebrity endorsement ahead of election, says ex-advisor
US Vice President Kamala Harris Photograph:( AFP )
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“We do not pay. We have never paid any artist and performer,” Adrienne Elrod, who served as senior adviser and senior spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told Deadline.
“We do not pay. We have never paid any artist and performer,” Adrienne Elrod, who served as senior adviser and senior spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told Deadline.
United States Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign did not pay millions of dollars for celebrity endorsements ahead of the 2024 elections, a former top campaign official said on Friday (Nov 15).
“We do not pay. We have never paid any artist and performer,” Adrienne Elrod, who served as senior adviser and senior spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told Deadline.
The Harris campaign held several star-studded events, leading up to the Democrat’s defeat by President-elect Donald Trump.
Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Megan Thee Stallion, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, 2 Chainz, and Mumford & Sons were among the artists who performed in support of Harris' campaign in an effort to get low-propensity voters out to the polls.
Also read: US Elections 2024: Beyonce’s Kamala Harris t-shirt screams support; internet reacts
Moreover, Grammy Award-winning artists Beyonce, Cardi B, and Jennifer Lopez also appeared on the stage for Harris but did not perform, which disappointed the VP’s supporters.
Under the Federal Election Commission rules, Elrod said that the Harris campaign was required to pay fair market value "for any ancillary costs" of performances, including wages for band members and producers.
“There are laws that have to be followed that we have followed religiously on this campaign,” she said.
Reportedly, a series of election-eve events alone cost the campaign $20 million.
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Television talk show icon Oprah Winfrey said that Harris' campaign did not pay her anything. However, the Washington Examiner reported that last week Winfrey received $1 million from her campaign.
She said the report was not true and was not paid anything, ever.
However, reports have emerged, showing that two separate payments of $50,000 were made from the Harris campaign to Oprah's production company Harpo Productions INC in October.
"Oprah Winfrey was at no point during the campaign paid a personal fee, nor did she receive a fee from Harpo," the company said in a statement.
(With inputs from agencies)
