Chicago Tribune criticizes Harris campaign for paying massive sums to Oprah Winfrey, other celebs: Report

The Chicago Tribune criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' failed statesmanlike run for reportedly paying retired run currency to celebrities similar Oprah Winfrey. 

"Having idiosyncratic with a ample pursuing simply basal adjacent to a campaigner astatine a podium and accidental a fewer words, solo, is 1 thing; doing a full livestreamed lawsuit with, say, Oprah Winfrey, is another," the Chicago Tribune wrote successful an editorial pursuing reports that the Harris run paid Winfrey and different celebrities monolithic sums for run events. 

FEC filings amusement the Harris run made two $500,000 payments to Winfrey’s accumulation company, archetypal reported by the Washington Examiner, connected Oct. 15, a period aft Winfrey appeared with Harris astatine a municipality hallway lawsuit and weeks earlier Oprah was connected signifier with Harris astatine a Philadelphia rally earlier predetermination day.

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The Chicago Tribune criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' failed statesmanlike run for reportedly paying celebrities similar Oprah Winfrey for fundraising events. (Getty Images)

"Winfrey this week recovered herself having to contradict that the run had paid her a ‘personal fee’ of $1 cardinal pursuing immoderate media scrutiny of the nationalist accounting of run expenses, saying alternatively that the wealth went to her Harpo Productions, erstwhile famously headquartered successful Chicago’s West Loop and present based successful West Hollywood," the editorial committee wrote. 

"It’s existent that accumulation workers request to beryllium paid and that’s just enough; they’re not donors," the committee added. "And, frankly, $1 cardinal is not each that overmuch to Winfrey and truthful we precise overmuch uncertainty that she was seeking immoderate benignant of idiosyncratic payday from her chosen candidate. But she does ain Harpo and serves arsenic its chairwoman and CEO. The accumulation fees should person been a run donation."

"Better yet, alternatively than bash specified events, the Harris run would person been amended advised to fto its campaigner reply questions from independent journalists and springiness her much of a accidental to explicate herself and laic retired her plans for America’s future," the editorial committee wrote. "Celebrity osmosis did not work; voters wanted to perceive much astir what Harris would bash for them." 

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Oprah Winfrey appeared with Vice President Kamala Harris during a run rally successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania connected November 4, 2024.  (REUTERS/Rachel Wisniewski)

Winfrey has pushed backmost connected the disapproval when confronted by TMZ, saying she was "paid nothing."

A Harpo spokesperson acknowledged to Variety that Harpo Productions took wealth from the run but claimed it was for "production costs" and said, "Oprah Winfrey was astatine nary constituent during the run paid a idiosyncratic fee, nor did she person a interest from Harpo."

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Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.