Sharpton Group Received $500K from Kamala Prior to Campaign Interview, MSNBC Not Notified

Vice President Kamala Harris is facing scrutiny after reports revealed her campaign donated $500,000 to Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) shortly before a favorable interview aired on MSNBC. The timeline of the donations and subsequent media exposure has sparked accusations of ethical impropriety, with neither Harris nor Sharpton disclosing the payments to MSNBC.

The Washington Free Beacon’s Chuck Ross reported that Harris’s campaign made two six-figure donations:

• $250,000 on September 5

• $250,000 on October 1

Two days after the second donation, Sharpton aired a video of Harris wishing him a happy birthday. By October 20, Harris appeared on Sharpton’s MSNBC program in what many described as a softball interview.

The lack of transparency has fueled criticism of Harris, particularly given her history of controversial spending during her campaigns. Harris has previously faced scrutiny for lavish expenses, including over $1 million paid to Oprah Winfrey’s production team and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on private air travel. Her 2020 presidential campaign ended over $20 million in debt, despite raising over $1 billion in three months.

The $500,000 to NAN wasn’t an isolated expenditure. Harris’s campaign also made significant contributions to other minority-focused organizations, including:

• $2 million to the National Urban League.

• $150,000 to the Black Economic Alliance, which hosted a virtual rally urging black men to vote for Harris.

• $150,000 to Black Church PAC, linked to anti-Israel pastor Frederick Haynes, a long-time Harris ally.

Harris’s campaign invested heavily in initiatives targeting black church voters, even spending $275,000 on Vote to Live Action Fund, which launched a $4 million effort to pressure black men to vote.

The financial strategy raises broader questions about Harris’s campaign priorities and ethical boundaries. From rebuilding podcast sets at great expense to funding liberal-aligned groups, her campaign appears to have prioritized optics over fiscal responsibility.

Despite the ongoing controversies, Harris reportedly has her sights set on future elections. Whether she runs for president or governor of California in 2028, the public will likely demand greater accountability for her financial dealings and transparency in her campaign operations.

The $500,000 payments to Sharpton’s group and the subsequent media coverage underscore a troubling intersection of money and influence in politics.

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