Whereas Reed Hastings, co-founder and govt chairman of Netflix, did make a considerable donation, the corporate has clarified that it didn’t contribute any funds to Harris’s election efforts.
The misinformation started circulating on-line on August 2, 2024, with a viral Fb publish claiming, “Netflix simply donated $7 million to Kamala, BYE BYE Netflix! Cancel your subscription right this moment.”
Comparable messages shortly unfold throughout platforms like X, TikTok, Instagram, and even in Spanish-language posts following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race and his endorsement of Harris.
Clarification from Netflix
In response to the claims, a Netflix mentioned, as quoted by AFP on August 1, 2024, “It is a private donation from Reed [Hastings] and has no connection to Netflix.” The corporate emphasised that it has not made any monetary contributions to Harris’s marketing campaign. The Federal Election Fee (FEC) confirms that company donations to federal campaigns are unlawful, though firms might create political motion committees (PACs) to help candidates not directly.
The supply of the donation
Hastings, often called a big donor to the Democratic Get together, personally gave $7 million to a PAC supporting Harris’s presidential bid. In response to a July 2024 report from The Info, Hastings said that this was his largest donation ever to a single candidate. This cash was channeled to a brilliant PAC, which might settle for limitless contributions, somewhat than on to Harris’s marketing campaign.
Andrew Mayersohn, a researcher at OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that screens political spending, defined that direct contributions to presidential candidates are capped at $3,300 per election, or $6,600 for each major and common elections. Bigger donations are usually directed to PACs, which have completely different rules.
Reality-checking the claims
Regardless of the viral posts, different fact-checking organizations have confirmed that Hastings’ donation was directed to a brilliant PAC named Republican Accountability PAC and never on to Harris’s marketing campaign.
Anne Zald, an professional in authorities regulation, said that the Federal Election Marketing campaign Act of 1972 strictly prohibits firms and unions from making direct marketing campaign contributions, a rule carried out amid issues from the Watergate scandal and has been amended through the years.
