Viral online posts suggest Harris paid Oprah for an endorsement. But Oprah says the payment to her production company was to cover the costs of hosting a town hall.
Numerous celebrities endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, and her campaign events featured many of them. The endorsements included one from Oprah Winfrey, who hosted a livestreamed town hall with Harris on Sept. 19.
Following the election, some Harris critics on social media have questioned the authenticity of Winfrey’s endorsement, claiming she received two $500,000 payments from the Harris campaign in exchange for her endorsement.
Several VERIFY readers sent us emails asking if the Harris campaign paid Winfrey $1 million for a campaign event or an endorsement.
THE QUESTION
Did the Harris campaign pay Oprah Winfrey’s production company $1 million?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, Harris’ campaign paid Oprah Winfrey’s production company $1 million. Oprah says it was to cover the production costs of the town hall event that her …