Democrat donors to Harris should be asking her the same question parents used to inquire of their kids when they asked for a bump in their allowances: "What did you do with the money I gave you?"
The Harris camp blew through $2.5 billion, failed to deliver a win, and somehow, with all that cash on hand, managed to finish a failed campaign in debt. It almost sounds like one of those clickbait stories about idiots who won the lottery and ended up more broke than they were before they collected their winnings.
With less than a week left before Trump's return to the Oval Office, Harris is likely focused on moving out of the Naval Observatory and getting ready for her appointment to some board of directors, a university position, or, God help us all, a slot on CNN or MSNBC. At least, if that last prediction comes true, it will be a short stint. It's hard to become a star at an outlet no one watches.
Even as her time as veep grows short, her campaign is still tapping donors through recurring monthly charges, and that is leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some of her benefactors. Politico spoke with an anonymous Democrat operative who commented, “It’s silly, out of touch, and needlessly takes advantage of our most loyal supporters.” The operative said they could understand automatic donation debits in December since campaign members were putting sheets over the furniture and sprucing up their resumes as things wound down. But the operative drew the line at a January billing.
Donors are notified about the debit with the message, "Thank you for your generous monthly commitment,” with the caveat that the debits will continue until the donor contacts the committee. While most donors understand that they signed up for automatic debits, they are scratching their heads as to why they are getting those charges on their cards two months after the Harris campaign went down in defeat. Smaller donors who are seeing the bill on their monthly statements are likely ready to unburden themselves from what has been.
To be fair, I received plenty of emails from the Kennedy campaign (aka: MAHA) asking for help retiring its campaign debt. In fact, I sent an interview query to MAHA and got a rejection, with a reminder that the focus at the moment was to pay off the bills for the Kennedy effort. But at least the campaign asked, as opposed to just billing a card over and over. A former senior digital staffer for Mitt Romney's failed 2012 presidential bid told the outlet that the campaign stopped collecting recurring donations a few days after the loss and characterized the move as "super shady" and a grift. I know you can't see me, but I'm wearing my "shocked face " right now.
So what gives? Harris is done, Biden is out, and Trump and Vance are in. Why are Dem donors still getting tapped even as the inaugural decorations are being made ready? Well, the answer is about what you would think:
Harris herself told Democrats to “stay in the fight,” a DNC official said. And while a Harris Victory Fund donation page remains active on ActBlue, the fund itself is now defunct, and any contributions go directly to the DNC.
“Those HVF donations are going to help Democrats across the country as we rebuild the party,” the official said, adding that donors can cancel anytime.
Look at me, still wearing my "shocked face."
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