If Kamala Harris’ campaign was known for anything, it was her blockbuster fundraising. In just a few months exceeded 1 billion dollarsat an amazing and record-breaking speed.
Now, less than a week after the vice president accepted the challenge, not only is he out of money, he wants more. Campaign emails and texts, notorious for their ubiquity throughout the election, aren’t expected to stop anytime soon.
“Hi Team, This is Kamala, The election didn’t go the way we wanted, but I will never give up the fight,” said the text message sent on Tuesday. “And right now there are a number of critical races across the country that are either very close to being called, or within recounts or certain legal challenges.”
Two campaign officials said the requests were for money that was supposed to flow to the Democratic National Committee to help with efforts such as state recounts or ballot healing.
One of the officials acknowledged the debt, but downplayed it, saying. it will not be difficult to pay by the end of the year. The official of the institution also emphasized that, considering the results of the election, it would be worse to sit on a pile of unspent cash and lose.
But several campaign officials questioned that contention, saying the polls were designed to pay off debt. One senior campaign official called the practice of asking supporters for more money “Terrible” and another described it as “disgusting” after losing decisively and taking out so much money. A third, inundated with complaints from donors, asked how Democrats could maintain credibility moving forward.
At this point, the main problem for those left of Harris’s campaign is that the financial picture is shrouded in secrecy — even to those inside the organization. No one can or should disclose the clear state of financial condition. Reports of debt running into the tens of millions of dollars have surfaced – such is the story took on a life of its own in the conservative media and even to the dismay of donors brought the troll On X from Donald Trump.
“If we do whatever we can to help them through this difficult time,” Trump teased X.
On Wednesday, the campaign said that was an inaccurate description of the debt. One senior official said flatly in an interview this week: “It’s completely wrong.”
Five sources with direct knowledge of the campaign’s internal finances confirmed to NBC News that it was indeed racking up debt. But no one could give a specific amount; several people have thrown opportunities, with the lowest starting at $6 million.
“If there is any debt, it will be minimal and will be resolved in the coming weeks and months, not long-term,” another campaign official said Wednesday. Bills were still coming in, like donations. A full report may not come into focus until January.
In one bright spot, the Democratic National Committee, which operates as a separate entity, has no debt.
DNC finance chairman Chris Korge told NBC News that “the DNC will have no campaign deficit and is actually in a very healthy position financially.”
It is not unusual for a campaign to close a contest with debt. What’s unusual, some senior officials say, is the speed of the spending after the record-breaking fundraiser.
Even more unusual are the explosive clashes in and around the Harris campaign universe. Interviews with more than a dozen campaign officials and allies reveal deep mistrust of leadership, questions about payments to consultants and celebrities, as well as anger over what they say is a widespread lack of financial and analytics transparency. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about the internal dynamics of the campaign.
The campaign had warned both publicly and internally that this was the wrong race. But many of those interviewed said they were shocked by the debt and in their briefings predicted either victory or a protracted battle to get the ballots counted.
Amid renewed anger and frustration over Harris’ loss to Trump last week, several campaign officials heard something that surprised them: third parties were interested in buying the campaign’s email list.
Some senior members of the campaign have learned that their organization, which has raised a record $1.4 billion since late July, is actually owed money, according to two people who were not privy to internal campaign discussions.
The requests were all closed, and two Harris campaign officials told NBC News that the email list was not for sale.
But a second dynamic emerging from donors and other campaign officials, and equally bringing heat, is the persistent fundraising requests.
Some aides expressed frustration in interviews, saying they had drafted language for ongoing requests for money but intended for long-term counting efforts after election night.
“We had some e-mails prepared in advance for a long fight,” said a senior campaign official close to the strategy.
Meanwhile, a group of donors is baffled by how the money is being spent and is second-guessing the campaign’s decisions to hold high-dollar, celebrity appearances and concerts in the final days of the race. A campaign source says the celebrities themselves weren’t paying, but there were costs associated with production and travel.
At one of Harris’ biggest events in Houston, pop star Beyoncé performed (although officials initially said she would). Jennifer Lopez He spoke to Harris Fans in Las Vegas. Music artist Cardi B He appeared at a Harris rally in Milwaukee where he criticized Trump. When Bruce Springsteen performed for Harris in Philadelphia, Mumford & Sons played a set at the Madison rally.
In October, $1 million was spent on Harpo Studios for production costs related to Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Harris.
“Unite for America” was broadcast on most major platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Twitch and Instagram accounts for both Harris and Winfrey. And together, the couple has over 133.6 million followers across their platforms. a news report was made at that time.
Donors have filed complaints with campaign officials about spending transparency, according to three Harris sources. Officials said they were at a loss for how to respond because they, too, were in the dark about the financial situation and Harris’ winning prospects.
“I always knew we were going to lose,” said a senior member of the team. “I was never ready for us to lose on election night.”
Another source, who is in frequent contact with donors, complained about the campaign’s lack of transparency, saying, “I feel cheated.”
Campaign officials have reached out to donors to try to address some of the concerns, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
But the bigger problem, according to a source in touch with donors, is that the dynamic is putting the party’s credibility at risk as donors move forward.
“They should feel they have a say, but they don’t. They feel left out,” said the person. “Honestly, what will happen to them? All of them will get a raise for the midterm exam.