Harris Campaign Raising Funds For A Recounts That Are Already Over
Vice President Kamala Harris is soliciting funds for additional recounts, but the effort has raised significant concerns.
The timeframe for at least one recount has already passed, Harris has not explicitly requested a recount, and her campaign is reportedly in debt. This has led to speculation that the fundraising efforts may be aimed at covering campaign debts rather than recount-related expenses, The Daily Signal reported.
The funds are being raised through the ActBlue platform, which specifies:
“The first $41,300/$15,000 from a person/multicandidate committee (‘PAC’) will be allocated to the DNC. The next $3,300/$5,000 from a person/PAC will be allocated to Harris for President’s Recount Account. The next $510,000/$255,000 from a person/PAC will be split equally among the Democratic state parties from these states: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, and WY. Any additional funds will be allocated to the DNC, subject to applicable contribution limits. A contributor may designate their contribution for a particular participant by contacting info@kamalaharris.com. The allocation formula above may change if following it would result in an excessive contribution.”
Last week, cybersecurity experts sent a letter claiming evidence warranted recounts in Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin due to potential voting system breaches.
However, recounts in Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin are no longer possible as deadlines to request them have passed, and the Pennsylvania deadline is fast approaching.
Michigan law requires recount petitions to allege fraud or mistakes in vote canvassing and to demonstrate a “good-faith belief” that the outcome could have changed without these issues.
Although using recount funds for other purposes may not violate federal law, it raises ethical questions. The Daily Signal noted a March 2019 FEC advisory opinion regarding surplus recount funds from former Sen. Bill Nelson’s campaign:
“The commission concluded that the proposed disposal of surplus recount funds is consistent with the act since neither the charitable donation nor the donation to the national party’s recount account would be made to influence a federal election. Therefore, the use would not constitute a contribution or expenditure under the act or regulations.”
Further controversy surrounds Harris’ campaign finances following her election defeat to Donald Trump. The decision to spend up to $20 million on swing-state concerts the night before the election has sparked accusations of financial mismanagement.
According to the New York Post, this lavish spending has raised fears that campaign staff and vendors may not be paid, especially as reports suggest the campaign’s debt matches this $20 million figure. Vendors could take legal action if payments are not made.
Campaign insiders admitted to the Post that the concerts strained the campaign’s finances, a situation widely known internally. In a bid to cut costs, a planned performance by ’90s rock artist Alanis Morissette was canceled.
The election eve performances featured big names like Jon Bon Jovi in Detroit, Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas, Katy Perry in Pittsburgh, and Lady Gaga in Philadelphia. Harris also joined 2 Chainz for an event in Atlanta just three days before the election.