Vice President Kamala Harris allocated over $20 million towards event production costs in the concluding weeks of the 2024 presidential election, directing substantial funds to entertainment-owned production firms, venue hires for high-profile campaign events, and beauty services. The campaign’s ultimate financial report, unveiled Thursday evening, details expenditures from Oct. 17 to Nov. 25, indicating that […]
Vice President Kamala Harris allocated over $20 million towards event production costs in the concluding weeks of the 2024 presidential election, directing substantial funds to entertainment-owned production firms, venue hires for high-profile campaign events, and beauty services.
The campaign’s ultimate financial report, unveiled Thursday evening, details expenditures from Oct. 17 to Nov. 25, indicating that the Democratic presidential ticket disbursed more than half a million dollars daily during the election’s final phase to manage event costs, according to a review of campaign finance documents by the Washington Examiner.
Among various payments, significant sums were transferred to enterprises linked to Beyonce, John Legend, Ricky Martin, Fat Joe, Flo Milli, Katy Perry, and Christina Aguilera. The Washington Examiner previously reported that sources familiar with the campaign noted a six-figure expense for constructing a set for the vice president’s feature on the Call Her Daddy podcast, along with a $1 million payment to Oprah Winfrey’s production company.
A notable expenditure within Harris’s event budget, primarily directed towards professional production services, was a $20,000 payment to Philly Cuts Barbershop. Soon after the payment on Oct. 29, the Harris campaign shared a video showing the vice president at Philly Cuts conversing with staff about the importance of black men backing her campaign. The campaign did not disclose that the barbershop received payment for filming the video.
At that time, polling suggested a decline in support for the vice president among black men, prompting some conservative critics to challenge her authenticity with black communities due to her upbringing in Montreal and Berkeley, California. President-elect Donald Trump saw his support from black men under 45 roughly double compared to his 2020 electoral statistics.
Another prominent expense was the $22,000 payment made by the Harris campaign to Team Liquid, a professional gaming team. The specific purpose of this payment remains unclear — however, the campaign attempted to engage young male gamers by introducing a Fortnite map in the last week of the election. Observers pointed out that the map, named “Freedom Town,” prohibited players from using guns.
Costs for event venues where Harris spoke also added up significantly. An event with Bruce Springsteen, John Legend, and former President Barack Obama at Temple University’s Liacouras Center totaled over $200,000. Later, the campaign paid John Legend’s touring organization about $40,000 on Nov. 19.
An event with Mark Cuban at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, cost around $40,000, while a session with Liz Cheney at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Michigan amounted to just over $60,000.
Those in the entertainment industry who supported Harris benefited financially from her campaign.
Beyonce’s Parkwood Production Media received $165,000. Katy Perry’s Kitty Purry earned around $190,000. Fat Joe’s Sneaker Addict Touring received $20,000, while Christina Aguilera’s Three Wishes Productions garnered nearly $400,000.
Most of Harris’s event budget was directed to specialized production companies. Firms like 22 Degrees, FREEMAN, Industrial Strength Staging, Majic Productions, Maryland Event Services, Production Management One, VOX Productions, and Wizard Studios North collectively accrued more than $13 million for an array of event production services. Based in Wisconsin, Majic Productions has collaborated with both the NFL and the NBA.
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Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment, a modest record label in Atlanta, received $10,000 from the campaign. Ultimately, Harris expended approximately $1.5 billion on her campaign, which included $622 million dedicated to media production and advertising purchases from July 21 to Nov. 25.
“Money can’t buy you love or a good candidate,” remarked one Trump campaign adviser to the Washington Examiner. “Advertising serves as a crucial information source for swing voters. It’s certainly important, but it isn’t sufficient. The core issue is whether the message resonates and is communicated effectively, and what her campaign lacked was a willingness to distance itself from the unpopular administration she has been part of.”
The Harris campaign did not provide a response to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
