Harris Campaign joins Oprah Winfrey to dispel endorsement payment rumors: 'We have never paid any artist and performer'

Kamala Harris' campaign aides, along with Oprah Winfrey, are disputing rumors that the vice president's team paid celebrities for endorsements and compensated others who supported her short-lived presidential campaign.

Oprah Winfrey.

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The Washington Times reported on Monday that $1 million was paid to Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions for her endorsement of Harris, sparking speculation of payola. According to the Times, this was only a portion of the $20 million paid to media production businesses for events. The participation of numerous companies was described as "uncertain."

After Winfrey flatly denied that the accusation was true on Wednesday, Harris campaign representatives launched a counter-offensive, speaking with news outlets to correct the record and ensure the public understands the nature of campaign finance laws, which are the reason for the payments to Harpo Entertainment and other production firms.

"We don't pay. "We have never paid any artist or performer," Adrienne Elrod, senior adviser and senior spokeswoman for the Harris campaign, said Deadline, adding that they are obligated to pay "for any ancillary costs for that performance," which might include airfare to pay band members or a backline producer. "There are laws that have to be followed that we have followed religiously on this campaign," she said.

According to US law, businesses such as Harpo and many others mentioned by the Times are forbidden from making direct contributions to a candidate's campaign, and if this occurs, the campaign must return any amounts donated. This applies not just to direct monetary gifts, but also to production expenditures and other event-related expenses.

In support of the Harris campaign, Winfrey organized a celebrity-heavy town hall event in mid-October, and as the Times piece points out, the $1 million check in issue was delivered to Harpo Productions on October 15, as revealed by FEC records. The event, as the multi-billionaire said in the comments section of a post on The Shade Room's Instagram page after being stopped and questioned by a TMZ reporter earlier this week, was organized by her firm. Everything from lighting to production and support workers and the furniture they sat on came from Harpo's coffers, thus the payment was made around the time of the town hall event.

"I was not paid a dime," Winfrey tweeted after clarifying that she believes she is above rumors but has to put one down before it spreads. "I supported the campaign with my time and efforts. My production business, Harpo, was tasked with bringing in set design, lights, cameras, crew, producers, and everything else required to put on a live show (even the benches and chairs we sat on) for the September event. I did not charge any personal fees. However, those who worked on the production needed to be compensated. And where? "End of story."