US Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign spent $12 million on private jet travel, while $2.6 million was spent in the final days of her campaign alone, Federal Election Commission (FEC) data has revealed. Between October 1 and October 17, the campaign allegedly paid approximately $2.2 million to South Florida-based company Private Jet Services Group and an additional $430,000 to Virginia-based charter flight broker Advanced Aviation Team.
Critics were quick to point out the difference between Harris’s use of private jets – which are 14 times more polluting than commercial flights – and her previous statements calling global warming an “existential threat”.
“There is a lot of hypocrisy in the words of Kamala Harris and many pro-climate leaders and the realities they need to understand are real,” Benji Backer, founder of the American Conservation Coalition, told the NY Post. “We need sensible solutions to environmental and climate issues, but we won’t get them when there is so much hypocrisy coming from the elites.”
Private Jet Services Group claims its flights are carbon-neutral due to a reforestation program, although it is unclear whether the operation has purchased carbon offsets for these flights.
In addition to the millions spent on private air travel, the campaign incurred significant costs on items such as $12,097 for food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash, $12,081 on ice cream, and $62,772 on accommodations and catering at the luxury Hotel du Pont in Delaware.
Other expenses included $9,600 on food and drinks at the Pebble Bar in New York City and $6,000 to rent space at a board game café in Arizona.
The campaign awarded $5.6 million in grants to various left-wing advocacy groups, including Voto Latino, Make the Road Action Fund, and Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
Despite spending a record-breaking $1.6 billion in joint campaign funds, Harris’ campaign ended with $20 million in debt. Critics within the Democratic Party have cited wasteful spending as a major reason for his defeat, while some have questioned the decision-making process.
“You’re looking at these seven-figure luxury costs and thinking, ‘Couldn’t this have been deployed to reach people who listen to podcasts, Hispanic men or suburban voters?'” said Democratic strategist John Reinisch.
While Harris’ team spent heavily on ad buys through Media Buying & Analytics LLC – receiving $281 million in campaign funds – Donald Trump made gains across America and won the election.
GOP consultant Erin Perrin summarized the results: “Instead of getting the message out, they wanted to have a party. It doesn’t work like that.”
