Trump Campaign Claims Washington Post Provided Illegal In-Kind Contributions to Kamala Harris

The Trump campaign has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), accusing the Washington Post of making illegal in-kind contributions to Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign through what they describe as biased coverage.

The Trump campaign has filed an FEC complaint against the Washington Post. AP

The six-page complaint alleges that the newspaper is engaged in a “coordinated communications” strategy benefiting Harris while negatively framing Donald Trump.

According to the complaint, the Washington Post reportedly pays to promote content that criticises Trump and features “neutral” articles about Harris.

Trump campaign deputy general counsel Gary Lawkowski criticised the newspaper’s practices, stating that “Democracy Dies in Darkness” is the Post’s motto. Yet, the Post seems to be conducting a corporate campaign against Trump while promoting Harris’s candidacy through its online advertising.

The Trump campaign alleges that the paper made illegal in-kind contributions to the Harris campaign. REUTERS

The complaint cites specific instances, such as an article discussing Harris’s outreach to young voters, which the Trump campaign claims received promotional support from the Post.

Lawkowski emphasised that the messaging strategies used by Harris’s team appear to be reflected in the articles the Post chooses to highlight. The Trump campaign labelled these actions as an “egregious example” of pro-Harris propaganda and called for accountability from what they termed the “Democrat machine.”

The Washington Post has recently faced turmoil after its billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, decided to withdraw an endorsement of Harris. This led to several resignations from the editorial board and a significant loss of 250,000 digital subscribers. Reports suggest that, during this upheaval, the newspaper’s business division was funding ads for articles covering Harris’s campaign strategies and policy proposals.

Trump accused the Washington Post of pro-Kamala propaganda. REUTERS

The FEC is now tasked with determining whether the Washington Post has crossed legal lines in its reporting. The Trump campaign argues that the media promoting Harris meets the “core electioneering activities” criteria, which could classify the newspaper as a de facto political donor.

In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Washington Post stated that the claims regarding their social media marketing practices are without merit, asserting that promoted posts are part of their routine media operations. Representatives for the Harris campaign have not yet responded to requests for comment.