Washington: US President Donald Trump announced plans Monday to pursue a "major investigation" into "illegal" payments to celebrities who endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 race.

According to Anadolu Agency - English, Trump specifically targeted several high-profile figures such as Irish singer-songwriter Bono, American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, and American rock singer Bruce Springsteen, along with Beyonce. He alleged that these payments amounted to an illegal campaign contribution, citing media reports that claimed, "Beyonc© was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG."

The US president further alleged these payments constituted "AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL" and accused Harris's campaign of disguising payments for endorsements as entertainment fees.

Trump emphasized, "Candidates aren't allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did," and criticized the celebrities involved, describing their actions as a "CORRUPT and UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system."

While none of the accused celebrities immediately responded to Trump's allegations, it is noted that Winfrey had previously stated she did not accept a "personal fee" for her participation in a Harris campaign event.

Harris's four-month presidential campaign featured numerous celebrity supporters, including performances by Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, and endorsements from Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and others.