A revelation about campaign funding has cast a shadow over Vice President Kamala Harris's October interview with MSNBC host Al Sharpton.
According to Fox News, MSNBC has acknowledged being unaware that Harris's campaign made two separate donations totaling $500,000 to Sharpton's National Action Network nonprofit before her appearance on his show "PoliticsNation."
The donations, each amounting to $250,000, were made in September and October 2024, preceding Harris's birthday interview with Sharpton on October 20. The financial connection between the Harris campaign and Sharpton's organization came to light through FEC filings after Harris's electoral defeat to President-elect Trump.
The Society of Professional Journalists labeled the undisclosed donations a "black eye" for both MSNBC and journalism as a whole. MSNBC's spokesperson confirmed the network's lack of knowledge regarding the contributions, while Sharpton reportedly did not inform network executives about the financial arrangement with the Harris campaign.
The interview itself took place on Harris's 60th birthday, featuring notably friendly exchanges between the Vice President and Sharpton. During their conversation, Sharpton posed questions that allowed Harris to reflect on her legacy, comparing her to pioneering politician Shirley Chisholm.
The network has declined to comment on whether Sharpton would face any consequences for the undisclosed conflict of interest. Despite the controversy, Sharpton maintained his regular appearances on MSNBC, including a Monday segment on "Morning Joe."
The revelation about Sharpton's National Action Network is part of a broader pattern of Harris campaign payments to media figures who later conducted interviews with the Vice President. Nu Vision Media, run by progressive journalist Roland Martin, received $350,000 on September 9, preceding Martin's October interview with Harris.
When questioned about the payment, Martin told the Times that the amount was for advertising purposes. He expressed his view on the matter, stating, "It should have been a hell of a lot more. More should have been spent on Black-owned media."
The Harris campaign's media spending extended beyond these instances. Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions received two $500,000 payments on October 15, connected to a town hall event with Harris and a subsequent Philadelphia rally. Sources close to the campaign later revealed that the total cost of the Winfrey event approached $2.5 million.
MSNBC has faced additional challenges beyond this controversy. The network has experienced a significant decline in viewership following Trump's victory over Harris, with total day viewers down 42% and primetime viewership dropping 52% compared to 2024 averages.
The network's parent company, Comcast, has announced plans to separate its cable assets, including MSNBC, into an independent company over the next year. This restructuring has created uncertainty among MSNBC staff regarding the future of shared resources with NBC News.
The undisclosed $500,000 in donations from Kamala Harris's campaign to Al Sharpton's National Action Network has exposed concerns about journalistic ethics at MSNBC. The payments, made in two installments before Harris's October interview with Sharpton, were not disclosed to network management or viewers.
The controversy extends beyond MSNBC, revealing a pattern of Harris' campaign payments to media figures and organizations before friendly interviews. These included substantial payments to Roland Martin's Nu Vision Media and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions, raising questions about the intersection of journalism, politics, and financial relationships in campaign coverage.
