Disney executive's close friendship with Kamala Harris under scrutiny as ABC hosts critical debate

Ahead of next month's presidential debate on ABC News, a potential conflict of interest is raising eyebrows.

Dana Walden, a senior Disney executive whose portfolio includes ABC News, is one of Vice President Kamala Harris' "extraordinary friends," according to a report in the New York Times. Walden and Harris have known each other since 1994, while their husbands, Matt Walden and Doug Emhoff, have known each other since the 1980s.

Dana Walden has donated to dozens of Democrats and contributed to Harris’s political campaigns since at least 2003, when she ran for district attorney in San Francisco. She went on to donate to her subsequent campaigns for California Attorney General and U.S. Senate, as well as her 2020 White House bid. Harris even credited Dana and Matt for her marriage at a fundraiser in April 2022, which was held at Walden's home in Los Angeles.

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ABC told the New York Times that Walden, who is Disney’s highest-ranking television executive, does not weigh in on editorial decisions. The network's primetime debate is set for Sept. 10, and will be moderated by ABC anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.

"ABC News has built its longstanding reputation on journalistic integrity," the network said in its statement. "All editorial decisions are in the hands of ABC News management and the seasoned journalists and producers of ABC, who hold themselves to the highest journalistic standards."

Disney Entertainment said in a statement to the New York Times that Walden has not hosted a fundraiser for Harris since June 2022, when ABC News came under her scope of responsibility, but in 2023, she donated $20,000 to support President Biden and the Democratic