Vice President Kamala Harris, who endorsed President Joe Biden after he dropped his reelection bid on Sunday afternoon, has previously pushed for the creation of a bail fund to free men accused of rioting, sexual offenses and assaulting women.
The Harris camp Ready Sources told CNN that the vice presidential nominee was trying to present a “prosecutor versus felon” contrast with 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Nevertheless, the vice president’s record shows that she has been a significant supporter of bail bonds that have secured the release of men accused of sexual crimes and harming women.
In June 2020, as Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots were reaching their peak across the United States, Harris, who was then a Democratic senator from California and was running for vice presidential candidate, Promoted One Fundraising For the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), which has faced criticism for helping to secure bail for riot suspects.
According to the Hennepin County Prosecutor’s Office, Thomas Moseley has twice been released on bail with the assistance of the Harris-backed MFF after being accused of vandalizing a police station in August 2020 and rioting in December 2020. According to a press release, Moseley was under investigation for allegedly attempting to purchase a semi-automatic rifle from a gun store through a dummy buyer in January 2021. He was charged with three felony counts of possession of multiple drugs and possession of a firearm.
MFF also helped post bail for Timothy Wayne Columbus, who was accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in July 2020 and faced a 30-year sentence, court documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation revealed. According to court documents, MFF helped post bail for Richard Rainell Kelly, who was accused of breaking into and assaulting a 71-year-old woman’s home in August 2020. Kelly was ultimately convicted of third-degree assault in July 2021, and his 15-month prison sentence was suspended by a judge. according to To Alpha News.
MFF helped provide bail for a man who allegedly stomped and robbed a victim on a Minneapolis street on May 25, 2020, according to court documents obtained by DCNF.
If you’re able, please donate now MN Freedom Fund To help pay bail for people protesting locally in Minnesota. https://t.co/t8LXowKIbw
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 1, 2020
According to court documents obtained by DCNF, MFF also assisted in the release of bail for six men who allegedly committed acts of violence against women between June 2020 and August 2020. Two of the men allegedly strangled a woman in their home, while another man allegedly struck his girlfriend with his fist more than six times. Five of the six defendants had previously been convicted of domestic violence-related offenses, according to court records.
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There are calls for a list of criminals. MN Freedom Fund Some have committed new crimes after being released on bail, including serious assaults, sexual assaults and murder. This list is by no means comprehensive, it is just a list of those we know about.When contacting your legislators, please link to this list.
— Crime Watch Mpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) February 16, 2022
Financial documents show that in 2020, the Tides Center, a prominent Democratic dark money group, funneled $5.97 million to 23 bail funds, including the Harris-backed MFF. That’s a dramatic increase from 2019, when the Tides Center reported donating $216,000 to eight bail funds. (RELATED: ‘I have to take the keys’: Media reaction to Biden’s resignation brings shock, tears)
Fellow Democrats, I have decided not to seek the nomination and to focus my efforts on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My first decision as the 2020 candidate was to select Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it was the best decision I could have made… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
Joining Harris in supporting the Fund in 2020 were other celebrities including Chrissy Tegan, Justin Timberlake, Steve Carell and Emily Ratajkowski. More than a dozen Biden campaign staffers have publicly voiced their support for the fund, according to Reuters.
Harris served as the San Francisco District Attorney from 2004 to 2010. She then served as California’s Attorney General from 2011 to 2017. She was elected to the California Senate in 2016.
Harris’ 2020 support for police budget cuts was a major shift from her career incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders in California. In 2012, then-Attorney General Harris’ office “affirmed its intention not to comply” with a judicial order requiring the state to demonstrate a reduction in its prison population. according to She reportedly blocked the release of fewer than 5,000 nonviolent drug offenders, according to the American Prospect.
As San Francisco District Attorney (SFDA), Harris oversaw more than 1,900 marijuana-related misdemeanor and felony convictions. according to he told the Mercury News, citing records from the SFDA office.
Following Biden’s endorsement, Harris secured the support of all state Democratic Party chairs in a conference call Sunday, the people said. ReutersHowever, leading Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have yet to endorse Harris.
