Fired Democrats Blast DNC After Surprise Layoffs, Raising Questions About Harris Campaign Spending

By Reagan Reese, Daily Caller News Foundation | November 18, 2024

After the Democratic National Committee laid off hundreds, those employees are now calling out the party over the unexpected move and its spending habits during the 2024 election cycle, according to Axios.

In the aftermath of the Harris campaign, Democrats have expressed anxiety over the potential millions of dollars in debt the DNC racked up trying to get the Vice President into the White House, four sources familiar with the situation said to Axios. Amid the fears of mounting debt, the DNC unexpectedly fired hundreds of employees, leaving many — including people in permanent and temporary positions — stunned, current and former employees told Axios.

“This scale of the layoffs is shocking people who have been here for a decade. People are blindsided by this…I’ve completely lost faith in the Democratic Party and I’m still working for them,” a current staffer told the outlet.

The party’s staff union accused the DNC of betraying party values with the surprise layoffs in a Monday statement, adding that it was a result of “short-sighted mismanagement by senior leadership.”

“The principles we champion on the national stage have been disregarded in our own workplace,” the statement read.

Since the layoffs, Axios reported that there has been an increase in anxiety about the debt the Harris campaign wracked up. A majority of Harris’ campaign funds was used for digital and TV advertising, according to Axios, but aides have started to worry about potential over-spending on bigger rallies and high-profile appearances.

The campaign paid Oprah Winfrey’s production company at least $1 million to host a celebrity-filled town hall, the Washington Examiner reported.

Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (R) speaks alongside Oprah Winfrey during the closing rally of her campaign at the base of the iconic “Rocky Steps” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on November 05, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With one day to go until election day, Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning across Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The campaign’s chief financial officer, however, is denying reports that the party is in massive debt following the 2024 election cycle.

“As of Election Day, there were no outstanding debts or bills overdue,” Patrick Stauffer, chief financial officer of Harris for President, told Bloomberg, despite the campaign and the party spending nearly $1.5 billion during their run for the White House.

He continued, saying that “there will be no debt” when the campaign files their next FEC filings in December.

Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she walks off the stage during a rally at Muhlenberg College Memorial Hall on November 04, 2024 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. With one day to go until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning across Pennsylvania. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“Every cycle, political organizations scale up to meet the demands, and as the cycle comes to a close, it’s a tough reality of our industry that we must part with talented, hardworking staff,” a DNC spokesperson said to Axios.

“While the DNC has met the terms of the union agreement negotiated by the CBA, we share the entire DNC family’s frustration and continue to provide resources to all members of the team to support them in this transition,” the spokesperson continued.

Reagan Reese is the White House Correspondent for the Daily Caller. She previously served as an education reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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