MSNBC executives have claimed they were “unaware” that Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign donated $500,000 to a nonprofit organization owned by Rev. Al Sharpton, an MSNBC host, before he interviewed her weeks before the 2024 election.
The Harris campaign made two $250,000 contributions to Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) ahead of the Oct. 20 interview, a detail that came to light through Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. The network confirmed the payments to the Washington Free Beacon but stated Sharpton failed to disclose the potential conflict of interest to MSNBC leadership or viewers.
MSNBC has not announced whether Sharpton will face any consequences for not disclosing the payments.
The Harris campaign’s contributions to NAN were part of a larger $3.75 million effort to fund 10 progressive black civil rights and religious groups before the election, according to FEC records. The donations add to longstanding questions about Sharpton’s impartiality as a journalist, given his open support for Harris and his vocal criticism of President-elect Donald Trump.
During his Democratic National Convention speech in August, Sharpton praised Harris, saying, “We are now on our way to the Oval Office. We won’t go back,” while noting that his organization does not officially endorse candidates.
In the October interview, Sharpton avoided challenging Harris or addressing criticisms of her record, instead lobbing favorable questions. He asked Harris how she reacted to “street talk” from Trump and whether resistance to her campaign from “some men, black and white, is misogynist.”
Sharpton also addressed criticism of Harris’s prosecutorial record in California, asking whether accusations about her incarcerating people on marijuana charges were “orchestrated.”
The payments to NAN and Sharpton’s softball interview have reignited criticism of media bias, particularly from conservatives. Trump frequently accused major networks of favoritism during the campaign season, including allegations against CBS News for editing Harris’s responses during a 60 Minutes interview.
Sharpton has not publicly addressed the payments or MSNBC’s confirmation of the lack of disclosure. The network has yet to provide further comment on how it will handle the controversy.
