Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential marketing campaign stated it has raised greater than half a billion {dollars} in donations since its July launch. However has a few of that cash come from the U.S. authorities, as some social media customers claimed?
In an Aug. 26 Instagram reel, a girl stated she researched Harris’ prime donors and a few of them have been “eye-openers.”
“I believed I might share them with you as a result of these are authorities entities that we fund as taxpayers, and I don’t perceive how it isn’t a battle of curiosity for them to make a marketing campaign donation,” the girl stated.
She says 4 authorities businesses — the Protection Division, the Division of Well being and Human Providers, the State Division and the Division of Veterans Affairs — have donated virtually $900,000 to Harris’ marketing campaign.
(Screengrab from Instagram)
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This video was initially posted on TikTok. In a follow-up TikTok video, the girl stated her supply is Open Secrets and techniques, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that tracks cash in politics.
Though these 4 authorities businesses are listed among the many prime contributors to Harris’ marketing campaign on Open Secrets and techniques’ web site, it doesn’t imply the businesses themselves donated to her marketing campaign. Open Secrets and techniques’ prime contributor listing teams donations by employer or affiliation, the group says.
Above the listing of prime contributors, Open Secrets and techniques explains that the contribution totals come from “the organizations’ PACs (political motion committees); their particular person members, workers or homeowners; and people people’ rapid households.” It provides that, “On the federal stage, the organizations themselves didn’t donate, as they’re prohibited by legislation from doing so.”
As of July 29, Open Secrets and techniques reported the next contributions to Harris’ marketing campaign from individuals affiliated with these authorities businesses:
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Protection Division: $213,460
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Well being and Human Providers: $203,574
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State Division: $197,640
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Veterans Affairs: $217,420
Authorities businesses, together with the Protection Division and the Division of Veterans Affairs, are additionally listed among the many prime contributors to former President Donald Trump’s presidential marketing campaign on Open Secrets and techniques’ web site.
Beneath every of these authorities businesses, Open Secrets and techniques’ web site says people have been the supply of the political contributions..
On these prime contributor pages, Open Secrets and techniques additional explains why and the way it makes use of donors’ employer and occupation data.
“Firms themselves can not donate to candidates on the federal stage however federal candidates can get contributions from company PACs, workers and homeowners in addition to their rapid households,” Open Secrets and techniques’ web site says.
Federal legislation requires that campaigns itemize donations exceeding $200. If a donation is from an individual, the marketing campaign should disclose that particular person’s identify, mailing tackle, employer and occupation, based on the Federal Election Fee.
Open Secrets and techniques’ web site says it teams contributions by employer/occupation as a result of “exhibiting these clusters of contributions from individuals related to specific organizations offers a beneficial — and distinctive — method of understanding the place candidates are getting their monetary help.”
We fee the declare that 4 authorities businesses donated practically $900,000 of taxpayer cash to Harris’ presidential marketing campaign False.
