According to ABC News, on May 19 local time, U.S. President Trump called for a "major investigation" into the support former Vice President Harris received from several celebrities during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign. The report stated that Trump hinted, without providing evidence, that some celebrities might have supported Harris due to illegal payments. In response, relevant personnel publicly stated that they had never received any fees. On May 19 local time, Trump posted on social media, stating that candidates cannot pay for support, and Harris did so under the pretext of paying entertainment expenses. "I will call for a major investigation into this matter." The celebrities mentioned by Trump in his post include American rock singer Bruce Springsteen, singer Beyoncé, host Oprah Winfrey, etc. According to ABC, the Harris campaign team paid service fees to Winfrey's, Springsteen's, and Beyoncé's production companies during the 2024 election period and afterward. However, Beyoncé's mother and Winfrey both stated that this money was used to cover the production costs associated with their participation in the activities. Campaign financial disclosures show that the Harris campaign team paid a total of $1 million in "event production" costs to Harpo Productions, Winfrey's company, on October 15, 2024. Winfrey interviewed Harris at a campaign event in September 2024. "I did not receive any personal compensation, but the staff involved in the production needed to be paid, and they were paid," Winfrey responded to Trump's accusations in a video clip. Harris and Beyoncé at a campaign event. Associated Press According to campaign records, after Beyoncé attended a Harris campaign rally and openly supported Harris a few weeks later, the Harris campaign team paid Parkwood Production Media, Beyoncé's company, $165,000 on November 19, 2024. Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, stated in a social media video that the accusation that her daughter was paid to support Harris is a "lie," adding that Beyoncé herself and her team paid for their own flights to and from the event. In addition, campaign records show that on November 19, 2024, the Harris campaign team paid approximately $75,000 to Springsteen's company for "travel and event planning." Reportedly, Springsteen has not yet responded to this. Campaign law experts told ABC that the Federal Election Commission does not prohibit federal campaign teams from paying celebrities or influential individuals for support, nor would such payments be considered illegal contributions — as Trump claimed — as long as these expenses are properly disclosed. Experts said that the Federal Trade Commission is responsible for overseeing the disclosure of paid endorsements. Last year, there were allegations that Harris spent money to seek celebrity support. Adrienne Elrod, a senior campaign advisor for Harris, told reporters in an interview, "We did not pay. We have never paid any artists or performers any compensation." Elrod pointed out that the campaign team had paid "associated costs related to performances" and emphasized that "we strictly adhered to all applicable laws in our campaign." ABC noted that among the celebrities who appeared or performed at Trump's campaign events over the years, the media found no record of the Trump campaign team or its other entities paying them or their companies. Lee Greenwood, a country music singer whose song "God Bless America" often appeared at Trump's campaign rallies, also performed at Trump's campaign events. Last November, he stated on social media that he had not received "any form" of payment from Trump's campaign team or Trump's organization. This article is an exclusive piece by Guancha Observer and is unauthorized for reproduction. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506345587822903871/ Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's views. Please express your opinions by voting up or down below.