Lavish gifts Kamala Harris received while dating much older Willie Brown, from BMW to career-boosting job

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a new book, bombshell revelations have surfaced about Vice President Kamala Harris' early career and the influential relationships that helped propel her into the political limelight.

According to the book, Harris received several gifts and political support from her then-lover, Willie Brown, a powerful Democrat who played a crucial role in her ascent to power.

Kamala Harris' relationship with Willie Brown

In 1994, Kamala Harris, then 29, began a relationship with Willie Brown, who was 60 years old and serving as the speaker of the California Assembly. Despite being separated from his wife since 1982, Brown was still technically married at the time.

Their relationship was not a secret in San Francisco, with local newspapers often referring to Harris as “the speaker’s new steady” or Brown’s “frequent companion," The Sun reported.

During their relationship, Harris reportedly received a BMW from Brown and accompanied him on luxurious trips to Paris and the Academy Awards.

Journalist Dean Morain details these accounts in his 2021 book 'Kamala's Way: An American Life,' noting that Brown was instrumental in advancing Harris’ career by appointing her to the California Medical Assistance Commission shortly before his term ended in November 1994.

“Over the course of the relationship, Brown gave Harris a BMW, she traveled with him to Paris, attended the Academy Awards,” wrote Morain.

In a 2019 opinion piece for the San Francisco Chronicle, Brown openly acknowledged his relationship with Harris and his influence on her career.

“Yes, we dated,” he wrote. “Yes, I may have influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was Assembly speaker. And I certainly helped with her first race for district attorney in San Francisco.” He also admitted to appointing her to two state commissions and supporting her first campaign for district attorney in San Francisco.

Harris won the district attorney race in 2003 and served for seven years before becoming California’s Attorney General in 2010. She was reelected for another term and then entered the US Senate in 2017.

Willie Brown endorses Kamala Harris for 2024 presidential election

Willie Brown, 90, has recently endorsed Harris for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. In an interview with Politico last week, Brown quipped that Harris might "deport" him back to Texas if she becomes president.

"She’ll deport my a**,” laughed Brown while chatting with the outlet. “She may send me back to Mineola,” he continued before joking, "Sending me back to Texas would be a deportment!”

Despite his light-hearted comments, Brown is one of several high-profile figures, including former President Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi, who have shown support for Harris’ campaign.

However, Brown also expressed concerns about Harris' chances, referring to what he called "Hillary syndrome," where people might not like her. "Brown worried out loud that Harris had ‘the Hillary syndrome’ — that ‘people don’t like her’ — and fretted it was not fixable," Politico reported. 

He advised that President Biden should step down to allow Harris time to establish herself as president before the election. Brown also suggested that Harris should downplay her gender and ethnicity in the race, focusing instead on addressing voters' concerns directly.

On Harris' political stance, Brown recommended she adopt a more ambiguous platform to keep voters guessing and adjust her policies as needed. "If she keeps people continually guessing, then she can adjust the interpretation of your guess every time she sees you," he told Politico.

Campaign progress and potential running mates

Since being endorsed by President Joe Biden, Harris has wasted no time in launching her campaign against the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. She has already held a rally in Georgia, a key battleground state, where she criticized Trump for avoiding a debate with her.

With only 96 days left until the election, Harris has yet to announce a running mate. However, sources close to her have indicated that she is considering a diverse range of candidates, including US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Other potential picks are Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. If Harris selects Whitmer, it would mark the first-ever all-woman ticket for a political party.

Harris has seen a significant boost in the polls since becoming the presumptive presidential nominee. According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted a week after President Biden exited the race, her overall favorability rating increased from 35 per cent to 43 per cent while her unfavorability rating decreased from 46 per cent to 42 per cent.