Vice President Kamala Harris is under scrutiny for her campaign's financial ties with a Chinese businessman.
Vice President Kamala Harris faces criticism after her campaign accepted $50,000 from a Chinese auto executive linked to the Chinese Communist Party, stirring a debate on the proprieties of political donations and national security, Breitbart reported.
Stella Ke Li, a senior executive at BYD, an electric vehicle company backed by the Chinese government, made significant contributions to President Joe Biden's campaign, which were later redirected to Harris after Biden ended his campaign in July 2024. This development heightens tension, as many view BYD as posing national security concerns similar to Huawei. It collaborates extensively with the Chinese military.
The Biden Victory Fund originally designated the funds before allocating them to Vice President Harris's campaign. Stella Ke Li's contributions on November 14, 2023, were made while she held a position that benefits from Chinese government policies and military cooperation.
The constraints set by current U.S. law allow Li, a holder of a green card, to legally contribute to U.S. political campaigns. This raises intricate questions about the influence of foreign nationals on American electoral processes through financial means.
The Driving Force Action PAC, a political action committee opposing electric vehicle mandates, has been particularly vocal, pressing Harris to return the contentious $50,000 and to sever any financial affiliations with BYD. Their campaigning focuses on swing states, hoping to sway public opinion and policy directions of the Harris campaign. Highlighting the potential job losses in the American auto industry due to strict EV mandates, they argue this move will protect domestic interests.
Vice President Harris previously championed robust measures for a sustainable environment, which included a comprehensive push for electric vehicles in her Green New Deal during her 2020 presidential campaign run. She proposed lofty goals for an EV-centric future with targets like ensuring 50% of new passenger vehicles sold by 2030 are zero-emission and moving to 100% by 2035.
However, recently her campaign indicated a retreat from mandatory EV transitions, which has added to the controversy surrounding her stance and the received funds.
The linkage of Harris’s ambitions for green policies with BYD’s influence casts shadows over her alignment with American economic autonomy, especially when contrasted against her statements and policies.
We are deeply concerned about the reported $50,000 in political contributions your campaign received from Stella Ke Li, a Chinese national and senior executive at BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle company with close ties to the CCP and a company identified as a national security threat on par with Huawei. In light of these concerns, Driving Force Action demands that your campaign return the $50,000 contribution made by Ms. Li and publicly disassociate from any financial ties to BYD. We believe this action is necessary to demonstrate your commitment to protecting American jobs, defending national security, and maintaining transparency in your campaign.
This incident unfolds amid broader debates around the appropriateness of accepting significant political donations from figures possibly influenced by foreign governments, particularly those in sensitive industries such as electric vehicles. These industries are central to the U.S.'s strategy of achieving energy independence and economic security.
Additionally, reports indicate that the Clean School Bus program chose BYD Americas, under Li's direction, to receive $395,000, further highlighting the depth of interaction between Harris’s initiatives and companies viewed as potentially harmful to national interests.
The controversy surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’s acceptance of campaign donations from a Chinese executive sheds light on intricate issues at the intersection of politics, foreign influence, and national security. It compels a reevaluation of the relationships and policies that govern political contributions and their ramifications on international relations and domestic policies.
