PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FOR “MAJOR INVESTIGATION” INTO KAMALA HARRIS’ CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT
Trump claims celebrities were paid for endorsements during 2024 campaign; experts and celebrities deny wrongdoing.
President Donald Trump has called for a “major investigation” into celebrity endorsements received by former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. Trump alleged without evidence that some celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen, and Beyoncé, were illegally paid for their endorsements.
Trump took to social media on Monday, stating, “Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment.”
However, campaign finance experts clarify that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has no rules barring campaigns from paying for endorsements, provided payments are properly disclosed and for legitimate services such as event production. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates disclosure obligations related to paid endorsements.
Records show the Harris campaign paid production companies linked to Winfrey, Springsteen, and Beyoncé for event-related services. Oprah Winfrey denied personally receiving any fee, stating that only her production team was compensated. Similarly, Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles refuted claims of payment for the endorsement, calling them a “lie” and noted Beyoncé even covered travel expenses.
Springsteen’s production company received payments for “travel and event production,” though Springsteen himself has not publicly addressed the payments.
Senior Harris campaign adviser Adrienne Elrod emphasized that the campaign paid for ancillary event costs according to FEC regulations and has never paid artists directly for endorsements.
Notably, ABC News found no evidence of the Trump campaign paying celebrities for endorsements, with some performers like country singer Lee Greenwood confirming their appearances were unpaid and voluntary.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
