Kamala Harris campaign paid Oprah Winfrey twice as much as initially reported

Oprah Winfrey's production company, Harpo Productions, reportedly charged more than double the $1 million initially reported for an event to support Kamala Harris's campaign.

Two unnamed sources argued in conversation with The New York Times that the cost of the event would have been closer to $2.5 million.

"I was not paid a dime," Winfrey assured in response to a post on Instagram. However, she did acknowledge that Harpo Productions, a production company she founded, charged for the event:

"For the live-streaming event in September, my production company Harpo was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, microphones, crew, producers, and every other item necessary (including the benches and chairs we sat on) to put on a live production."

The event was held in Pennsylvania, the swing state that Harris needed to reach the White House. The vice president lost the state, as well as the other six swing states, where she concentrated most of her campaign efforts.

The Democrat replicated the strategy of turning to celebrities with appearances by well-known artists such as Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera and Katy Perry. Her team claims, according to the Times, that none of the artists were paid, but that "support staff" were paid.

The revelation adds yet another twist to the controversy over the campaign's financial straits, despite its high fundraising levels. The financial troubles reportedly led it even this week to freeze payments to its senior staff.

Two weeks after the election, the Harris-Walz campaign is still asking for donations. Even with daily mailings. In them, they claim it's important to keep donating because there are "very important races that are yet to be called or have been won" and because of the "spree" of appointments of Donald Trump to his future cabinet. They would also be personally calling big donors.

According to the Times analysis, the Harris team spent about $100 million per week. While most was spent on advertising, various reports point to expenditures such as $9,000 on ice cream, $15,000 on food delivery and $2.6 million on private jets.

The president-elect pointed out this weekend the economic problems of his opponent, assuring that the "biggest asset" of his successful career had been the conversation in media and networks spontaneously generated without the need of payment. He did not miss, moreover, the opportunity to tease: "Whatever we can do to help them during this difficult period..."