In a surprising turn of events, former New York City Mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg has become the second-largest individual donor to Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, pouring $50 million into the main super PAC backing her bid for the presidency. This significant contribution marks a shift for Bloomberg, who previously supported President Biden’s re-election campaign but initially held back on donating to Harris after she replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket.
Bloomberg’s decision to support Harris comes after intense pressure from fellow billionaires and a personal phone conversation with the vice president herself. According to The New York Times, which spoke with sources familiar with the donation, high-profile Democratic donors, including Bill Gates, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and venture capitalist Ron Conway, urged Bloomberg to consider contributing to Harris’s campaign.
The $50 million donation was directed to Future Forward USA Action, the main dark money super PAC supporting Harris. Notably, Future Forward was initially the primary political action committee supporting Biden before Harris assumed the ticket.
Legal experts have raised questions about the backing Harris receives from donors with government ties, highlighting the potential for conflicts of interest. Bloomberg’s donation follows a similar $50 million contribution to Future Forward from Bill Gates, further raising concerns about the influence of wealthy donors in the political process.
Despite initial hesitation, Bloomberg eventually decided to contribute, citing the importance of supporting Harris in her bid for the presidency. Bloomberg Philanthropies declined to comment on the donation.
This latest contribution significantly boosts Harris’s campaign coffers, adding to the already substantial fundraising efforts by the vice president. While Bloomberg’s donations this cycle are smaller than his contributions in 2020, when he spent a record-breaking amount on his own presidential campaign and then continued supporting Democrats with over $173 million, his latest contribution to Harris’s campaign underscores his continued commitment to influencing the political landscape.
