Trump considers legal action against Harris and Beyoncé for their endorsement deals

In a series of posts on his Truth Social account on Saturday night, former President Donald Trump suggested that several high-profile individuals, including Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, Kamala Harris, and Rev. Al Sharpton, should be prosecuted for alleged illegal endorsement payments.

Trump's allegations stem from the 2024 election campaign, during which he claimed that the Harris campaign paid large sums of money to celebrities for their endorsements. He specifically accused the campaign of paying $11 million to Beyoncé for an endorsement, but she did not sing and left the stage to a booing audience. Trump also alleged that the campaign paid $3 million to Oprah Winfrey, $600,000 to Al Sharpton, and additional amounts to unnamed individuals for doing nothing.

Winfrey addressed the allegations in November, stating that she was not paid for her appearance. She made this statement on Instagram in response to Trump's allegations of illegal endorsement payments. Winfrey clarified that her time and energy were her way of supporting the campaign, and she did not take any personal fee.

The Harris campaign denies paying celebrities who endorsed the former vice president. It is important to note that while it is not illegal for federal campaigns to pay for endorsements, the campaign would need to disclose such payments.

The official payments for celebrity endorsements in Kamala Harris's campaign were made by her campaign organization, and such payments are required by law to be officially declared in campaign finance reports. However, the Harris campaign's spending patterns were a subject of criticism following the 2024 election. The campaign raised nearly a billion dollars and ended up more than $20 million in debt due to heavy spending on consultants and advertising.

The post about Trump weighing prosecution of Harris and Beyoncé over endorsements was published on Salon.com. Trump stated that paying for endorsements is illegal and could cause chaos if politicians started doing so.

This is not the first time Trump has accused Harris' campaign of paying for endorsements. In the past, he has called Rev. Al Sharpton a "third-rate con man."

It remains to be seen whether Trump's suggestions for prosecution will lead to any formal investigations or legal action. However, the allegations have once again brought attention to the role of celebrity endorsements in political campaigns and the importance of transparency in campaign finance.