Harris campaign claims it was following laws and 'never paid' celebs after Oprah Winfrey denies rumors

WASHINGTON, DC: A spokesperson for Kamala Harris' campaign has addressed allegations claiming that celebrities received millions in payment for endorsing the vice president in her unsuccessful presidential bid.

In a statement released to Deadline, Adrienne Elrod, a senior spokesperson for Harris' campaign, categorically refuted the allegations, maintaining that the campaign adhered to all legal and ethical guidelines concerning celebrity participation.

Kamala Harris' campaign clarifies no payments were made to celebrities

"We have never paid any artist and performer. We have never paid a fee to that person," Adrienne Elrod said.

She stated that the campaign must cover "any ancillary costs for that performance," which may encompass travel expenses for band members.

"There are laws that have to be followed that we have followed religiously on this campaign," she added.

The regulations she mentioned pertain to Federal Election Commission rules that mandate campaigns to compensate fair market value for event expenses.

Companies are not allowed to make direct payments to campaigns without reimbursement, and when an individual covers the expense, it is regarded as an in-kind contribution, which is subject to legal limits.

Elrod's remarks to Deadline followed Oprah Winfrey's clarification this week regarding the $1 million payment to her production company for hosting a town hall event on September 19, in support of Harris.

Oprah Winfrey reacts to criticism regarding alleged $1 million payment

Prior to the election, Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions organized a high-profile town hall event in Michigan for the vice president, where the renowned media proprietor fervently supported Kamala Harris's presidential bid.

The Harris campaign covered the expenses for the town hall event and issued a $1 million payment to Winfrey's Harpo Productions.

When initially approached by TMZ with the news on Monday, November 11, Winfrey seemed to issue a denial.

"Not true" she responded when asked by a cameraman about the payment. "I was paid nothing. Ever." However, Winfrey later clarified in the comments section of a post on The Shade Room’s Instagram page.

"I did not take any personal fee," she said. "However the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story." 

Artists such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Megan Thee Stallion, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, 2 Chainz, and Mumford & Sons contributed their talents to the Harris campaign, seemingly to encourage low-propensity voters to participate in the polls.

Grammy Award-winning artists Beyonce, Cardi B, and Jennifer Lopez made appearances in support of Harris, but they did not perform.

Kamala Harris' campaign faces backlash online

As soon as the Harris campaign stated that they "never paid" millions for celebrity endorsements, netizens began reacting to the claim.

A user said, "I mean it’s federal record so…you can’t lie out of this."

Another questioned, "Then how the hell she spent one billion dollars."

One commentator asked, "So we're supposed to believe the Harris Campaign and not the FEC records?"

"If you wanted to google "How to gaslight people" this is a perfect example," a critic wrote.

A person claimed, "They never paid millions. they paid tens of millions."

Someone else chimed in, "Yes she did. She gave Oprah's company many millions."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.