The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has spent more than $15 million this year paying off Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign expenses, leaving the party at a massive financial disadvantage compared to Republicans.

According to a report by Axios, the payments left the DNC at the end of July with just $15 million cash on hand, compared to $80 million for the Republican National Committee. The payments to cover Harris’ campaign debts left the DNC with $65 million less than its rival as Democrats look ahead to the 2026 midterms.

Among the expenses paid by the DNC on behalf of Harris was a $548,050 payment to a charter flight company, more than $2 million to the media production firm Assembly House LLC, and $237,201 to the law firm Covington & Burling.

Harris’ campaign spent an unprecedented $1.5 billion in just 15 weeks, yet lost all seven swing states to President Donald Trump in the general election. Axios reported that some Democratic donors have grown frustrated by the spending and are hesitant to contribute more money to the DNC moving forward.

Democrats have called on Harris to take a more active role in fundraising. While she has allowed the DNC to continue using her campaign email list and hosted a handful of small events, donations have reportedly fallen short of expectations.

 “The vice president has collaborated closely with the DNC to manage campaign expenses and expand our base of grassroots donors. She remains fully committed to strengthening the party and helping return Democrats to power,” former Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon told Axios.

While it is not unusual for the DNC to step in financially after a campaign, chair Ken Martin has faced criticism for failing to boost fundraising as quickly as needed. The situation has also drawn scrutiny because Harris’ team had previously claimed her campaign’s finances were in order.

“As of Election Day, there were no outstanding debts or bills overdue, and there will be no debt on either the DNC or [the Harris for President committee] report for post general report,” Harris campaign chief financial officer Patrick Stauffer told reporters last November. 

While that statement was true at the time, millions in additional expenses rolled in over the following months, with some bills higher than expected. Harris’ team was also reportedly caught off guard when the race was called on election night, having expected to raise more funds as votes were counted.