Senator Bernie Sanders’ long-running criticism of Netflix’s tax practices and executive pay collided with newly filed campaign finance records that show his 2026 Senate campaign paid for a Netflix subscription early this year. Federal Election Commission filings list monthly payments of $46.79 to Netflix from January through March, described in the reports as a “subscription,” a wrinkle that stands in contrast to Sanders’ repeated public attacks on the streaming giant.
The filings, which cover the first quarter of 2026, show the campaign made three identical payments to Netflix. Because Senate campaigns have only reported through March so far, the records do not make clear whether the subscription continued after that month. Sanders’ campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, the outlet that first reported the filings.
The revelation is striking given Sanders’ vocal denunciations of Netflix’s corporate behavior. In social media posts and speeches he has accused the company of “avoiding over $1 billion in taxes,” cited the firm’s record profits and criticized price increases imposed on subscribers while executives grew wealthier. Sanders has repeatedly used his platform to argue that large corporations are not paying their “fair share” of taxes; his office even highlighted Netflix in a March 2022 post about corporate greed and tax avoidance.
Related Recipes
Trump Attacks Fox News for Not Challenging Ro Khanna During Sunday Interview
Fox News Dispatches Beijing Team for Exclusive First Post-Summit Interview With Trump After Trump-Xi Talks
Luna accuses CIA of seizing 40 MLK and JFK files from Tulsi Gabbard’s ODNI office
100% Chance of a Super El Niño This Summer, With a Rapid La Niña Return in 2027
Payments to streaming services from campaign accounts appear unusual. Campaign finance records reviewed by reporters show only five political committees made payments to Netflix described as subscriptions over the past ten years, and Sanders’ campaign was among them. The filings do not specify which account or staffer used the subscription, nor do they identify whether the subscription was for research, staff use or personal entertainment.
The Netflix payments come against a backdrop of earlier scrutiny of Sanders’ campaign spending. In 2023 he moved $200,000 from his campaign account to the Sanders Institute, a nonprofit run by family members, drawing criticism and questions from watchdog groups about the propriety of transfers to organizations with family ties. More recently, reports about more than $550,000 in donor-funded private jet travel during his 2025 “Fighting Oligarchy” tour generated further debate about whether his expenditures matched his public critique of elite wealth and privilege.
Trending Now
Trump Attacks Fox News for Not Challenging Ro Khanna During Sunday Interview
Fox News Dispatches Beijing Team for Exclusive First Post-Summit Interview With Trump After Trump-Xi Talks
Schroder’s Limited Minutes Hamper Cavs in Game 7 Win Over Raptors
Luna accuses CIA of seizing 40 MLK and JFK files from Tulsi Gabbard’s ODNI office
There is also an awkward public connection: Sanders appeared in a 2024 Netflix original segment when Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates interviewed him on the platform’s series “What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates.” That appearance provides a plausible administrative reason for the campaign to hold a subscription for production or promotional purposes, though the filings provide no explanatory notes. As federal reporting for the rest of 2026 becomes available, watchdog groups and reporters are likely to seek clarification about the purpose of the Netflix payments and whether donor funds were appropriately used.
Continue Reading
