Axios has a story out this week that disclosed that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) continued to pay off the debts from former Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Over $15 million has already been paid out by the DNC, which is reportedly struggling to raise money in the aftermath of a failed campaign. Axios described it as a “private agreement” that was not disclosed to donors, who unknowingly contributed to the Harris campaign rather than the campaigns to retake the House and Senate. The question is whether such private agreements are lawful if not disclosed to donors. Harris shocked many in burning through over $1.5 billion in her brief 15-week campaign. Donors were irate over wasteful and excessive spending by Harris and her campaign. That has contributed to the poor fundraising figures reported from the DNC.
The article is likely to increase the anger of donors who have been reluctant to contribute after the wild spending of the Harris campaign. The notion of a bait-and-switch is even greater after the Harris campaign denied it had lingering debts that would have to be paid off by the DNC.
What is particularly shocking is that the Axios report said that in the “first six months of 2025,” the DNC has spent over $15 million on Harris’s debts. Politico is reporting that the DNC only raised $15 million as of the end of June in comparison to the Republican National Committee (RNC) having $80 million “on hand.”
The amount reported by Axios may be low. The New York Times reported that the DNC “covered” roughly $20.5 million in “post-election bills” for Harris’s campaign.
My assumption is that, absent a pledge to spend on future campaigns, the use of donations for debts (even of past candidates) is lawful. It is not without legitimate questions when the DNC is raising money on the pledge to retake Congress in 2026. The DNC can argue that money is fungible and paying off debts is part of its operating budget. However, at a minimum, there is a concerning lack of transparency and disclosure in the “private agreement” with Harris.
In the meantime, Harris is starting a book tour for her book “107 Days,” which promises that Harris will “tell the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.” It likely does not include a chapter on burning through a record $1.5 billion, which was insufficient even with supportive media, to secure the White House.
How much did Hillary pay for the Steele Dossier?
You get what you pay for! All I can say, no matter how much you dislike Trump, imagine Ms. Harris in the White House! Think she could have done anything of purpose that would benefit all the citizens of this country? We are lucky she failed and may the coffers of the Dems go to zero!
Now I’ll never be unburdened by what will never be. Or something.
Yes
Why is no one auditing where it went? It was one big Harris centric money party with all the democrat hot shots filing up their buckets with cash.
And yet, this incompetent product of the California-Democrat machine got 49% of the popular vote. That’s too close for my comfort. This Country remains in peril.
I have to believe 10% of that has been deported…
Hoping you’re right!
The Founders intended for the vote to be restricted, in their era severely, by state legislatures.
Democracy has restricted the vote since its inception in Greece and perpetuation in Rome and America.
In any case, the entire communist American welfare state is unconstitutional and must have been struck down at every step in its evolution by the judicial branch.
The vote is moot for the most part.
The singular American failure is the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court, which quite simply “makes it up as it goes along”—one great example was the wholly unconstitutional and totally and wittingly corrupt Roe v. Wade.
Voter ID will knock the wind out of that! Nearly all democrat precincts are crooked. All you have to do is mark the ballot so the Prez choice shows both to be marked, and thus void.
Debtutante
Paying the past/incurred debts of the Harris Presidential campaign is NOT an “operating expense” of the DNC. Really surprised at your reply Professor. Not liable for it in any manner whatsoever. It amounts to, and clearly is, straight up fraud by the DNC. I would not worry about civil or criminal prosecution because they’re (DNC) now facing a much bigger problem, which is loss of funding from their base from being bamboozled over such blatant fraud.
Isn’t paying the debt of another a taxable event? Would it not be fraud to solicit under false pretenses? The donors should ask for their money back.
Really??? With the amount of slushy, dark money swimming around all the democrats, they have a problem with this but not hillary, hunter, biden or obama????
WhimsicalMama,
It matters this time around as a lot of that dark money was paid for by America taxpayers in the forms of NGOs, USAID, all of which Trump exposed as the slush funds they were. Then there was Act Blue who took money for Democrats from likely enemies of America but allies for Democrats, like Iran and China. So money is tight for the Democrat party. They are losing voters and voter money.
In actuality, it is probably impossible to know what money came from whom and who it was given to unless the DOGE people were to get their hands on all of the dems secret data. I am sure the average taxpayer (you know, the ones with more than 2 brain cells) would be irritated to realize what a grift has been played on them since way back before Eisenhower. I wonder if historians in the far distant future will ever be able to tell the complete story of our communist/progressive invasion.
Par for the course, yet folk wonder why White Milksop’s Protest in D.C. to Advocate for Continued Black on Black Crime
https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/white-milksops-protest-in-dc-to-advocate
Yawn. They helped make her the nominee, so why not help pay off her campaign debt? And if a donor is unhappy with how any of her campaign funds were spent or how the DNCs current funds are being spent, well then, they should have spent a little time studying who they were giving to and stop the whining. Some folks they don’t like are finding this kind of funny.
They knew who Cackling Kamala was before she was chosen to run for President. Even with such knowledge supported by a multitude of video evidence she checked the two most important boxes of qualification. The first being a woman and the second being the color of her skin. The feather in their caps was simply more important than the running of the nation. If you question my assessment consider the equally ridiculousness of running a man in the early stages of dementia and doing their best to hide it from the American people. Yet somehow, they stare in amazement as the Democratic Party registration roles shrink and the money dries up. The one thing that they still do possess in vast quantities is vanity.
Defined as excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or achievements. Excessive is without a doubt an understatement.
The extreme policy positions of East Coast and West Coast Democrats are killing the Democratic party. So many of these positions from these coastal States are at odds and in directly contradicting Democrats across the heartland fly over States. And it’s just going to continue to erode until even California and New York become more balanced again. These extremest Wing Nuts are just shooting themselves in the foot every time they take these outrageous, far left, extremist positions. Transgender surgery for junior high school and high school children is example number one 😢😢😢 I remember when I was a hardcore Democrat, through and through, wondering how in the hell could someone vote for Ronald Reagan? Typical Republican who gave tax cuts to the ultra wealthy elite, who needed it the least, while giving out laughable, puny, peanut tax cuts to the poor in and working class. That was 40 plus years ago. In that 40 year time period the party has changed dramatically. How did the Democratic Party stray so far off base in that short time period??? I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me … and every other middle of the road, reasonable, moderate, voter/citizen 😢😢😢
I can only imagine how much of that money is going to the non-profit Harris Retirement Fund.
I’m sure she can rely on her book sale proceeds to retire comfortably. I plan to buy several copies and give them to my Democrat friends as gag gifts.
Oh wait, I shouldn’t use the words “gag” and “Kamala” in the same comment. Wouldn’t want to remind Democrats how she got her start in politics.
You’re not suggesting that donating to a “non-profit” would be a scam are you 😺😺😺 I thought all non-profits were legit and above board, especially when they’re connected to the Democratic party🙀🙀🙀
What’s hilarious about this whole mess is that anybody was stupid enough to believe that Kamala Harris even had a chance to be elected president.
A portion of the 1.5B Debt would be written off as Bad Debt by some of the Creditors (also known as a Debtee).
The question of Campaign Contribution(s) qualified amounts would call for the need of an Audit of the DNC to reconcile the Debtors-Creditor accounts.
(this would be quite time-consuming – albeit like trying to audit the Fed.)
The DNC has entered a Bankruptcy Swamp, Counter suits by Creditors that suffered Bankruptcy of their own as a result of the DNC’s endeavor along with Creditors in general will arise as creditors trying to recoup losses.
Who knows. maybe the DNC will be so tied up by 2028, that they can’t run a Candidate (doubtful but could be a restriction on available $), and open an opportunity for 3rd Party platforms like Elon Musk’s American Party to thrive. It will be interesting to see ‘where the Money comes from’ in the Midterm races.
Bitcoin Crypto wallets will be active, to bad for the DNC that Sam Bankman-Fried’s operation is gone, but there are plenty of Others in the crypto sphere that will step in.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Party
So, this article about casting aspersions. Professor Turley is not even sure if anything the DNC is doing is illegal.
“ My assumption is that, absent a pledge to spend on future campaigns, the use of donations for debts (even of past candidates) is lawful. ”
Perhaps the Professor should look up the law and give readers something more concrete than an assumption.
Turley tries to avoid actual facts as much as possible.
Lies, half- truths and assumptions are preferred in the MAGA cult.
“Turley tries to avoid actual facts as much as possible.
Lies, half- truths and assumptions are preferred in the MAGA cult.”
Said without any irony by the person with the Obama, Biden, and Harris candles.
Anon 10:00am – That is the most definitive example of “democrat-projection” that I have witnessed in a long time …….. truly childish.
“Perhaps the Professor should look up the law and give readers something more concrete than an assumption.”
Since you’re such an obvious expert in everything, why don’t you look it up and summarize for us?
But Professor Turley is the expert here, he’s a lawyer with a competent staff, allegedly.
“But Professor Turley is the expert here, he’s a lawyer with a competent staff, allegedly.”
Yes, but you’re the internet genius. Why must we wait for the professor when you’re the foremost expert in everything already?
Why do you assume I’m the foremost expert?
Well, you come here daily and present yourself as an expert on every single topic presented, no matter how diverse. One can only assume that you’re a true internet genius and expert in everything. Otherwise, you should stop coming here and acting that way. Which would be nice, because in reality you’re an absolute idiot who routinely makes a fool out of herself when you bloviate.
Amen.
…because in reality you’re an absolute idiot who routinely makes a fool out of herself when you bloviate.
OMD … ⬆️⬆️⬆️… Brutal Smackdown 😺😺😺
“ The amount reported by Axios may be slow. The New York Times reported that the DNC “covered” roughly $20.5 million in “post-election bills” for Harris’s campaign.”
Slow? Proof reading failure?
Why, slow and Axios are synonymous.