The Warner Bros. president who resigned in disgrace Monday amid a sexual harassment scandal donated thousands of dollars to Democratic presidential candidates, signaling potential problems for a party so heavily reliant on Hollywood for financial support.
According to electronic filings through the Federal Election Commission, Kevin Tsujihara donated $10,000 to New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker in 2018. In 2013, Tsujilhara co-hosted a fundraiser for Booker at a Beverly Hills mansion. That event brought in $500,000 for the then-Senate candidate.
Tsujihara’s financial support for 2020 hopefuls doesn’t end there.
In 2017, he gave $4,000 to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobouchar’s re-election campaign. During the 2016 California Senate cycle, he gave $4,700 to then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris.
During 2016, Tsujihara also gave nearly $35,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
Tsujihara resigned from his position as chairman and chief executive of Warner Bros. after an internal investigation concluded that he had offered career assistance in return for sex.
The company discovered sexually charged text messages between Tsujihara and actress Charlotte Kirk purporting to show the studio executive promising to introduce her to industry bigwigs.
Since the rise of the #MeToo era, Democrats have had to grapple with their cozy relationship with Hollywood studios and actors as reports of abuse and misconduct have arisen industrywide. When the revelations about Harvey Weinstein emerged, the GOP quickly demanded the Democratic Party give back the hundreds of thousands of dollars the producer donated throughout the years.
“They’re keeping 90 percent of his donations. I don’t understand,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told at CNN the time. “If you stand for treating women well and you stand for the respect of women, you shouldn’t take money from somebody who treated women with the absolute highest level of disrespect.”
The conduct by Weinstein also elicited a response from former President Barack Obama. Weinstein had helped raise over $600,000 for Obama’s re-election efforts in 2012.
“Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein. Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status,” Obama said in October 2017. That campaign money has not been returned.
