Driving Force Action launches ad campaign to demand Kamala return donations given to Dem campaign by CCP-linked auto exec

Driving Force Action (DFA) PAC is demanding that the Kamala Harris campaign return donations made by a CCP-linked Chinese auto executive. The PAC has also released advertisements urging Harris to return the money, saying that "Chinese money has no place in American politics."

The ad was released with a petition for people to sign, that said, “Demand that Kamala Harris return the Chinese money!” Scot Crockett, a representative for the DFA, said, "Actions speak louder than words. The American people need to know if Kamala Harris prioritizes American jobs and national security above her political ambition." 

The PAC raised concerns over the donations in an October 11 letter, writing, "We are deeply concerned about the reported $50,000 in political contributions your campaign received from Stella Ke Li, a Chinese national and senior executive at BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle company with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and a company identified as a national security threat on par with Huawei."

"BYD has been described as a company that benefits from substantial support from the Chinese government through direct subsidies and military-civil fusion initiatives. As detailed in various reports, BYD collaborates with military affiliates on significant projects, including data aggregation from vehicles and technology sharing with state-owned enterprises. Furthermore, Ms. Ke Li, who made these contributions, appears to be married to Wang Chuanfu, BYD’s founder and a prominent CCP member," the letter continued.

In late 2022, BYD was selected to receive $395,000 under the Biden-Harris administration’s Clean School Bus program, with the funding being disbursed in May 2023. On November 15, 2023, CCP-linked executive Ke Li donated $25,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, which was transferred to Harris when she took over the nomination, $18,400 to the Democratic National Committee with the donation being earmarked for the Biden Victory Fund, and $6,600 to the Biden campaign, now the Harris campaign.

The letter from Driving Force Action continued, "The acceptance of political contributions from an executive of a company with such ties to the CCP raises serious ethical and national security concerns, especially in light of your campaign’s previous stance on reducing reliance on foreign adversaries for critical industries like electric vehicles."

Driving Force Action demanded that the campaign return the donations from Ke Li and "publicly disassociate from any financial ties to BYD."

"We believe this action is necessary to demonstrate your commitment to protecting American jobs, defending national security, and maintaining transparency in your campaign."

The PAC has also sent a letter to United Steelworkers union president David McCall urging the union to "reconsider its endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the upcoming presidential election. We are aware that the Steelworkers have been longstanding advocates for protecting American jobs and, in particular, have expressed concerns in the past about BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle company."

"We deeply respect the United Steelworkers' mission and values and recognize your commitment to advocating for the best interests of American workers. In this spirit, we respectfully ask that the endorsement be reconsidered unless this issue is addressed. We hope the union's values will guide this decision, keeping American steelworkers’ interests at the forefront."

Driving Force Action is a PAC working to fight electric vehicle mandates proposed and enacted by Democrats across the country. In August, Harris’ campaign claimed that she no longer supported electric vehicle mandates, despite supporting them for years.