On Aug. 7, 2020, Democratic strategist David Axelrod expressed dismay at the amount of opposition research being used in the competition to become President Joe Biden’s running mate. He was also shocked by the amount being spent by Harris. “I can’t remember any VP selection process where so much oppo research has been dumped,” Axelrod tweeted. “If I were @JoeBiden, looking for a good and loyal partner, that should be a source of concern.” 

Reporter Ryan Grim of the Intercept replied: “Axelrod is being polite. But if you check @KamalaHarris FEC records, she spent more on oppo research than anybody has ever seen. When called on it, her camp said it was ‘self research’ but nobody believed it.”

Of course, all politicians use opposition research, and have done for decades. Yet Harris seems to have brought it to a new low—exploring how to use not just uncomfortable facts about an opponent’s past, but outright lies. Kamala Harris is a prime driver of this descent to the bottom. Oppo may be an old game, but has it crossed the line into criminality?