Kamala Harris’ new communications director Jamal Simmons, who replaced Ashley Etienne in the post, had previously donated $250 for the 2015 presidential campaign of Republican candidate Rand Paul, Fox News reported on Sunday, citing Federal Election Commission filings.
Paul, who was elected to the US Senate in 2010 and 2016, withdrew from the race following the Iowa caucus, where he finished in fifth place.
This was the only contribution made by Simmons, who has donated similar sums to some Democrats, including to Harris when she was running for the US Senate in California in 2015.
Shortly after his appointment was announced on Thursday, media reported that Simmons had made a number of controversial remarks about US President Joe Biden and Harris during his earlier career, while he had also complained about illegal immigrants to the US.