It has been two months since Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President-elect Donald Trump, but a new report reveals that some Democrat donors are still being charged.
As Democrats continue to reel from the decisive Republican victory in November, recurring charges are adding insult to injury for some who donated to help steer Harris toward victory. According to a report from Politico, a joint fundraising committee that worked with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) still has some donors enrolled in recurring payments. This is causing some strife among those who gave to the campaign.
“It’s silly, out of touch, and needlessly takes advantage of our most loyal supporters,” ranted one anonymous complainant. Politico explains that the person “didn’t flinch at a December charge, given the wrap-up expenses associated with any campaign,” but being charged again in January was a bridge too far.
“The Harris donor said the committee solicited no explicit approval to continue the donations after the election, though it sent emails saying, ‘Thank you for your generous monthly commitment,’ and that the donations will continue ‘until you contact us,'” the outlet explained.
But where are the funds going? Obviously, the lights are out at the Harris campaign, so if she’s not receiving the “generous” donations, who is?
The DNC, according to an official.
“Harris herself told Democrats to ‘stay in the fight,’ a DNC official said,” Politico reported. “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 added, noting that donors have the ability to cancel their donations at any time.
The situation has created yet another ethical dilemma for the world of online fundraising, with many wondering if it’s okay for the DNC to take money that donors had signed up to give a specific candidate.
“The soon-to-be-ex-VP won’t have any access to the money as she evaluates her political future and whether to run for president again, governor of California or stay out of politics,” Politico noted.
On the other side of the aisle, a former official for Mitt Romney’s failed 2012 presidential campaign said all recurring donations were canceled in the days following his electoral loss. They said the DNC taking funds meant for Harris in January was effectively “drifting” and “super shady.”
“These people didn’t sign up to be paying bills in January,” the person said.
The head of Democratic online fundraising firm Authentic, Mike Nellis, said that his clients generally expect recurring payments to be shut off if they lose their races, but he also said that he believes it’s okay for the DNC to receive money from Harris donors.
“If you’re rolling the committee into something that’s gonna continue to have an impact such as the DNC or another political campaign, I’m more than comfortable continuing the recurring donations so long as it’s transparent to the donor and compliant with ActBlue and the FEC,” Nellis said.
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