'Super shady': Harris 'Victory Fund' still billing monthly donors months after election loss

Some of Vice President Kamala Harris' monthly recurring campaign donors may be surprised to see her campaign is still taking money out of their accounts despite losing the election more than two months ago.

Politico recently reported that the Harris Victory Fund (HVF)— a joint fundraising committee set up by the vice president and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) — hasn't stopped taking money from donors who agreed to regular monthly donations during the 2024 campaign cycle. The HVF reportedly plans to continue doing so until those donors contact the campaign and ask for the commitment to be deactivated.

One unnamed Democratic Party operative showed Politico screenshots of their recurring donation from January, which was accompanied by a message that read: "Thank you for your generous monthly commitment." While the operative said they understood a December charge given the costs associated with wrapping up a campaign, they were dismayed to see the charge on their January bank statement.

READ MORE: Harris maintains 'massive financial advantage over Trump' in election home stretch

"It’s silly, out of touch, and needlessly takes advantage of our most loyal supporters," said the operative, who was granted anonymity to avoid professional reprisal.

Even though Harris is no longer running for president, a Democratic Party official said any donations to the HVF are now being automatically re-routed to DNC coffers "as we rebuild the party." Democratic fundraising consultant Mike Nellis told Politico that while it's generally assumed that monthly donations will end after a losing campaign, he personally didn't view it as unethical given that the money was now bolstering the DNC's efforts to sustain the party across the country. He added that there was nothing illegal about the arrangement, provided the HVF was being fully transparent with donors and the Federal Election Commission.

However, one unnamed Republican senior digital staffer who worked on Mitt Romney's failed 2012 campaign said it was "super shady" for a campaign to keep billing donors after a candidate lost the election, likening it to "grifting" supporters.

"These people didn’t sign up to be paying bills in January," the Republican staffer said.

READ MORE: GOP lawmakers raise alarm over Dems' 'shattering fundraising records'

Click here to read Politico's article in full.