Kamala's Capers

By Brent E. Zepke, Esq.

Kamala’s Post-Election Capers

A “caper” is an activity or escapade that is typically illicit – forbidden by laws, rules, or customs – or ridiculous. Vice President Kamala Harris’s post-election emails asking for money are prime illustrations of what could be described as “capers.”

Two examples:

“Kamala HQ, November 10: ‘You may be looking for something meaningful and important to channel your emotions toward. If that’s you, then we’re asking you to make a donation to the Democratic Party today.’”

“Kamala HQ, November 12. ‘I am asking you to contribute $50 to the Harris Fight Fund.’” 

Kamala’s asking for help in paying her bills reminded me of when I – as a student in Haddon Junior High – was enjoying a 30-cent half sub at Jack’s sub shop (nicknamed “Fat Jack’s” in honor of the owner) in Westmont, New Jersey, and my older brother’s friend, Sammy Stubbs, replied to a friend who had asked him what cigarettes he smoked. His answer was “OP’s.” Puzzled, I asked him what OP’s were and he informed me that “OP’s” meant “Other People’s.”

In the mid 1970s, I –as a young lawyer representing the Gulf Oil credit card division attempting to get the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to pay its campaign bills – realized that the DNC was also depending upon OP’s money.

2024 Kamala Harris Payouts with Other People’s Money

Some 50 years after my experience with the DNC, here is some of the spending of OP’s, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the 100 days of the Harris campaign:

$150,000 on September 19 to Black Voters Matter, which has repeatedly called for defunding the police and is pushing reparations.

Six figures in September to left-leaning groups that have been promoting defunding the police, reparations, and radical activists, such as Louis Farrakhan. 

Two payments of $250,000 each to Al Sharpton’s fund, the National Action Network, before he interviewed her on MSNBC.  

$150,000 to the Black Church PAC, whose pastor, Frederick Haynes, is an anti-Israel activist and has multiple controversial religious leaders on its board. Recent posts show it is partnering with a defund the police group to “Get out the vote” in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.

$5.4 million to various Black and Latino organizations.   

$10 million on various consulting and marketing firms, including Gambit Strategies LLC., DuPont Circle Strategies LLC., and Bully Pulpit Interactive LLC. 

Over $12 million on digital media consultants.

Almost $4 million to Village Marketing Agency, a company that connects clients with social media influencers. 

$15 million on “event production,” with many payments lining up with high profile events and concerts with celebrity attendees or performers.

$20 million on concerts by Bon Jovi, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Bruce Springfield, and 2 Chainz, along with appearances by Beyonce, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez. 

Two $500,000 payments to Oprah Winfrey’s production company Harpo Productions, a month after Oprah appeared with Kamala at a town hall event, and weeks before she was on stage with Kamala at a Philadelphia rally before election day.

$100,000 to redecorate a motel room in DC to avoid traveling to Texas to join host Alex Cooper in filming her podcast “Call Her Daddy.” 

$4 million to Advanced Aviation to fly on private jets.

October 16 Kamala Harris Campaign Spending & Bank Balance

As of October 16, the FEC indicated that the Harris campaign had raised $1,009 billion, had spent $890 million, and had $118 million in the bank.

During the same period, the Trump campaign had raised $392 million, had spent $342 million – $548 million less than Harris – and had $36.2 million remaining in the bank.

Election Day Accounting

By election day, the Trump campaign, in the same 100 days, had enough left from the $392 million it had raised, to offer (jokingly) to pay off Harris’s debt of $20 million. 

The Harris campaign recorded a balance of minus $20 million, meaning that the campaign had spent $138 million ($20 million more than it had on hand) in just the 19 days from October 16 to election day.

The Harris campaign spent $1,029 billion in 100 days, or an average of $10.3 million every day.

$56 million of that was on payroll and payroll taxes in just 100 days, or $18.7 million a month. 

During this time Vice President Harris was paid her full salary and living expenses and had use of Air Force II for official business.

Think of how ridiculous it was for her to use OP’s money to pay the exorbitant amounts to the folks listed above instead of doing what Trump did: give free interviews. And think of how foolishly – if Harris had won the 2024 election – she would have spent other people’s (i.e., taxpayers’) money as president. Can you say, “Thirty-six trillion in debt and counting?”

These key players could know how the money was spent:

Jen O’Malley Dillon, campaign chair for the Harris campaign;

David Plouffe, senior campaign advisor, resigned and deleted his account on X.

Deputy campaign manager Rob Flaherty, deputy campaign manager for Biden-Harris, is shopping around the Harris fundraising email list including campaign and outside groups.

Kamala asking for more OPs to pay off the activities listed above is an egregious example of a political “caper.”

Conclusion

I am stunned that 70+ years ago in Jacks’ sub shop, Sammy Stubbs’s lesson in using other people’s money would help me identify the types of expenditures listed in the filings with the FEC as “activities or escapades that are illicit or ridiculous;” i.e., as Kamala’s capers.

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Who is Free to Rally for Freedom this Saturday, November 16th?