The modern Left in America loves to accuse Republicans and conservatives of being guilty of abusing so-called “dark money” to get a leg up in elections. Just look at the way the Democrat Party had a total meltdown over Elon Musk backing Donald Trump, though he did not bankroll the Trump campaign. What’s interesting is that what the Left accuses their opponents for is what they are getting away with.

The Kamala Harris campaign is a prime example of this. Not only did the Kamala Harris campaign enjoy a ton of support from “pop culture,” her campaign was also receiving millions upon millions of dollars from celebrities for their appearance at rallies and for social media support. This has raised serious questions about to what extent candidates, of any political party, should be allowed to be bankrolled by wealthy elites.

Kamala Harris’ Presidential Campaign Paid Celebrities and Barack Obama for Appearances, Report Reveals

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign allegedly spent millions of dollars on celebrity appearances and support, with payments to various public figures including rapper Cardi B, former President Barack Obama, and media mogul Oprah Winfrey, according to a report by the Washington Free Beacon.

Among the individuals reportedly compensated for their appearances was Cardi B, the popular female rapper. Cardi B had previously claimed, during an interview with conservative commentator Candace Owens, that she had not received any payment for her participation in campaign events. However, campaign records reviewed by The Beacon revealed that instead of paying Cardi B directly, the Harris campaign had given approximately $60,000 to her company, Washpoppin, Inc., under the category of “campaign event production.” This payment was reportedly made on December 12, nearly a month after her public comment, though it remains unclear what the exact timeline of the payment agreement was.

Additionally, former President Barack Obama was allegedly paid $95,576 for “travel expenses” through his company, Renegade44, LLC. Obama appeared alongside Harris at various campaign events in cities such as Atlanta, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. His participation was seen as a key effort to boost Harris’ visibility and attract more support, particularly among African American voters. However, Obama’s visit to Pittsburgh drew significant backlash when he made controversial remarks suggesting that some Black men were not enthusiastic about the idea of a woman, especially a Black woman, becoming president.

“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said at the time. “Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers … Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president.”

In addition to Obama, Oprah Winfrey was also financially linked to Harris’ campaign. The Harris campaign reportedly paid $2.5 million to Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, for the production of a campaign event held in Michigan on September 19. Despite the hefty sum, Winfrey clarified that the payment was not made for an endorsement.

Further payments reported by The Beacon include $132,753 to Lady Gaga’s company, Mermaid Touring, and $132,335 to August 8, Inc., the business owned by singer Gracie Abrams. Additionally, $98,000 was paid to TGK Touring, the company of R&B artist Khalid, for their involvement in the campaign. These payments, as reported, suggest that Harris’ campaign relied heavily on star power to draw crowds and support, with several major figures in the entertainment world backing her efforts.

Outcry Over Handful Of Rich Elites Controlling Campaigns & Politics

What you may notice when you go down the campaign finance rabbit hole is that a ton of major donations come in from LLCs and corporations. That seems weird, doesn’t it? Well some campaign finance reform advocates suggest its time for a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the infamous Citizens United ruling, to go out the door for the campaign playing field to be made level.

The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled in 2010 in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case that companies can be considered “individuals.” There are certainly capitalistic benefits of this. One of the maybe unintended consequences of this ruling has been that campaigning for critical seats in the federal government can be controlled by rich elites.

This issue is one that more anti-establishment conservatives and liberals have been able to agree on, as millions of Americans all over the political spectrum are disgusted by the idea that their candidates are beholden to rich companies and elites as opposed to the American people. Clearly this wasn’t the intention the Founding Fathers had for the nation.

15 years ago the Supreme Court decided corporations are people under the First Amendment.

Today, sold-out politicians block progress on all fronts to appease their corporate donors.

Citizens United is among the worst decisions in history. It corrupts our system every day.

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) January 21, 2025

Do you think Presidential candidates should be allowed to receive millions from wealthy elites? Let us know what you think in the comments below.