‘So What Happened to All That Money People Donated?’: Outrage Grows as Oprah Winfrey Gets Called a ‘Fraud’ Over $10M People of Maui Fund While Supporting Kamala Harris’ Campaign

Oprah Winfrey, 70, remains a polarizing public figure. Her recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign has sparked outrage among critics blasting Winfrey’s previous highly publicized charitable efforts. In August 2023, a series of wildfires devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui. The OWN founder teamed up with fellow Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 52, to launch the People’s Fund of Maui for residents with an initial donation of $10 million. Oprah Winfrey catches heat from conservatives following her endorsement of Kamala Harris for President in the 2024 election. (Photos: CBS News/YouTube; NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images) The fiery disaster caused over 100 deaths and $5.5 billion worth of damage. Around 12,000 people were reportedly displaced. Winfrey, who owns property on 1,000 acres of land in Maui, and Johnson, whose Anoaʻi family lineage comes from the neighboring South Pacific’s Samoan Islands, have faced constant criticism over the last year. “We’ve been meeting with community leaders for the past couple of weeks, just trying to figure out what we can do,” Winfrey stated on the “Today” show in August 2023. The Rock added, “In this time of need, you want to take care of the greatest need of...