Culture


It Pays to Be Failed Politician


Kamala Harris in line for $20 million payday as she signs with Hollywood talent agency.


K BY MATTHEW LYSIAK


amala harris signing with one of Hollywood’s top talent agencies has reignited ethical concerns over politi- cians cashing out after they leave office. Last year’s widely panned Democrat presidential candidate is expected to earn “a highly lucrative” deal after it was announced she would be repre- sented by the Los Angeles-based Cre- ative Artists Agency (CAA).


She is following in the footsteps of former boss Joe Biden, who was pushed out of his presidential reelection race last summer because of physical frailty and mental cognitive issues.


According to a February statement, CAA will help Harris facilitate speak- ing engagements, publishing, and other “strategic opportunities that expand her platform in support of the issues she has championed throughout her decades-long career in public service.” Publishers have reportedly already offered Harris as much as $20 million for a book, and a “prominent” stream- ing service has also expressed interest in a potential collaboration that could net the former vice president “in the tens of millions.” While entirely legal, the growing list of public officials who have entered an arena formerly reserved for Hollywood celebrities, business leaders, and pop stars has blurred ethical lines, accord- ing to Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer.


“There has been a broad escalation


in former officials monetizing their public office, which has raised a lot of ethical questions that need to be


Power and Profits


C


ontroversy has dogged public oficials’ pursuit


of profit after vacating public service:


Following his resignation in


1974, Richard Nixon published RN: The Memoirs of Richard


36 NEWSMAX | MAY 2025


Nixon, which earned him a $2.5 million advance. The book, which covered his political rise and the Watergate scandal, was met with skepticism, with some bookstores choosing not to carry


it. Bills were introduced in Congress to prevent authors accused of crimes from keeping the profits.


After narrowly losing the 2000 election, former Vice President Al Gore made an estimated $100 million after the Current TV network, which he helped start in 2004, was sold to


HARRIS/BIG EVENT MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES FOR HUMANX CONFERENCE / GORE/BENNETT RAGLIN/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES


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