Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to controversial political operatives through their charity, according to documents reviewed by The Post.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been spending big on high level Democrat party aligned sources, according to public records, including hiring a ‘disinformation expert’ who worked at a company involved in every high-profile US election since the 90s.
The move could further widen the divide between Harry and his family, after brother Prince William recently met with President Donald Trump. King Charles is also said by the British press to have maintained a good relationship with Trump since he was last in office in 2020 and the president has expressed his support for both.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle doled out tens of thousands to progressive media companies at the same time that they hired a Democratic operative who worked to target critical stories about the party during the last presidential campaign. | Invictus Games Foundation via Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the recent Invictus games in Vancouver, Canada./ SplashNews.com
The group also donated $25,000 to the Marcy Lab School in Brooklyn, where Craig joined the board in 2024, public records show, and in 2022 Craig also took in $120,000 from Archewell, per the federal filings.
Craig, 33, previously worked at Washington DC research firm Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner. Regarded an expert on elections, Craig worked her way up to being Senior Director of Digital Strategy by 2016 and then became Vice President of the company between 2018 and 2021.
The firm’s website boasts of how it helped Bill Clinton become President in 1992 and then “helped our clients campaign, win, govern and win again.”
Jiore Craig worked at Washington DC research firm Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner where she worked her way up to being Vice President between 2018 and 2021.ISD
Beth Herlihy, a former aide to Britain’s royal family, was paid more than $155,000 for “strategic support” by Prince Harry and Meghan’s California charity./ SplashNews.com
One of company’s digital strategies during the last election cycle was to counter narratives about Joe Biden’s age and negative comments about his family, according to reports.
Craig boasts about what she can bring to projects online, saying she “designed and deployed Smart Social Listening – strategies for political candidates, public officials, community leaders, and corporate leaders to stay on offense,” on her LinkedIn profile.
Archewell also gave $90,000 to Markup News Inc., a New York-based non-profit also funded by Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and controversial billionaire and Democratic mega-donor George Soros’ Open Society Foundations.
The charity’s funding of progressive Democratic causes has raised eyebrows. Nile Gardiner, a fellow at conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, has called for Archewell’s donations to be scrutinized by Congress.
“Harry and Meghan still retain royal titles and should not be engaging in any way in political activity,” said Gardiner. “It’s actually outrageous.”
Archewell’s biggest donation — $250,000 — was to the Women’s Wellness Space, a Pennsylvania-based charity set up by Ashley Biden, daughter of former President Biden, in 2023. The charity’s mission is to help women impacted by trauma, according to reports. It opened its doors in 2024.
Craig was paid more than $146,000 for “programmatic strategic support” at Archewell, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nonprofit.LinkedIn
Billionaire Democratic donor George Soros was among the donors to Markup News, a nonprofit newsroom which Meghan and Harry also contributed to.AFP via Getty Images
Archewell also doled out $155,050 to Herlihy Loughran, a firm run by two former Buckingham Palace aides, Beth Herlihy and Clara Loughran, also for “programmatic strategic services.”
A spokesperson for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex told The Post: “In response to The Heritage Foundation’s unsubstantiated claims, it’s important to note that The Duke and Duchess did not endorse any candidate in the recent election, and to suggest they’re trying to curry favor with the Democratic Party — simply because a donation went to Ashley Biden’s nonpartisan nonprofit focused on women’s mental health, or because they hired a consultant specializing in digital safety — is misguided at best.
“While the Heritage Foundation may use its nonprofit status to mask political agendas, the Duke and Duchess are committed to investing in people and initiatives that truly make a difference.”
Meghan’s political aspirations have long been rumored, with her and Harry flying to New York to meet prominent Democrats including Governor Kathy Hochul and then-mayor Bill DeBlasio in 2021.
She and Harry also had a “secret summit” video call with California gov. Gavin Newsom the same year, according to reports.
Members of the monarchy in Britain have long practiced political neutrality and generally avoid showing favor to any politician or party publicly.
Meanwhile, President Trump has been dismissive of both Harry and Meghan, recently saying he wouldn’t look into claims Harry lied on his application to live in the US.
“I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible,” he recently told The Post.
