Vice President Kamala Harris is under fire for accepting $50,000 in campaign contributions from a Chinese auto executive with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, raising concerns about national security and her commitment to American industry.
Vice President Kamala Harris is facing mounting criticism for accepting campaign contributions from Stella Ke Li, a Chinese auto executive with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), sparking concerns over national security and ethics. The $50,000 donation, initially made to President Joe Biden’s campaign before he withdrew, has now transferred to Harris’s presidential bid, drawing fire from political groups and raising questions about her commitment to reducing foreign influence in critical industries.
Driving Force Action PAC, a group opposed to Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates, called on Harris to return the contributions, citing BYD’s deep ties to the Chinese government. In an October 11 letter, the group highlighted the national security threat posed by BYD, which has been linked to CCP-backed military projects and state-owned enterprises. "The acceptance of political contributions from an executive of a company with such ties to the CCP raises serious ethical and national security concerns," the letter stated. The group also questioned Harris’s consistency, noting her recent speeches in support of American manufacturing and concerns over China’s dominance in the EV market.
Stella Ke Li, a senior executive at BYD, made the contributions in November 2023, shortly after BYD Americas received $395,000 from the Biden administration’s Clean School Bus program, a project spearheaded by Harris. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from making campaign donations, but Ke Li’s "right of abode" in the U.S. reportedly grants her an exception under federal guidelines.
Driving Force Action PAC, backed by the Specialty Equipment Market Association, has launched a campaign demanding that Harris return the donation and sever financial ties with BYD. The group’s ads are targeting swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ohio, urging voters to hold Harris accountable for aligning with a company connected to China’s government. Critics argue that Harris’s acceptance of these funds contradicts her public statements on American industry and her previous backing of EV mandates, which could threaten millions of American auto jobs.
Harris, who has supported Biden’s aggressive EV goals — aiming for 50% of new cars sold to be zero-emission by 2030 and 100% by 2035 — has tried to walk back some of those mandates in recent months. However, her campaign’s receipt of contributions from a CCP-linked company has only fueled skepticism about her stance on critical national security and economic issues as she continues her bid for the presidency.
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