There are swirling rumors that Meghan Markle may have her sights set on seeking public office after financial documents from Markle’s and Prince Harry’s nonprofit were filed.
The tax documents show that the couple paid $110,000 to a public relations firm called KLM Strategic Advisors, according to multiple reports. KLMSA is based in San Diego, California, and is headed by Katie Mccormick Lelyveld, who served as Michelle Obama’s press secretary from 2007 to 2011.
Lelyveld has also provided PR services to Hillary Clinton and former Secretary of State John Kerry.
According to tax documents obtained by the Daily Mail, the royal couple’s nonprofit company, The Archewell Foundation, handed out over $3 million in grants after raising $13 million from two wealthy donors, including one rumored to be Oprah Winfrey. In addition to the $110,000 that was paid to KLMSA, the couple also paid $215,000 to a company called Invisible Hand, which, on its website, describes itself as a “social impact and culture change agency.”
KLMSA states on its company’s website, “From the corporate war room to the media battlefield, the corner office to the White House, KML Strategic Advisors are your guides through rarified air.”
The Archewell Foundation was started in 2020 after Markle and the prince stepped back as working members of the royal family. The company shows on its website that it is an “impact-driven global nonprofit aiming to put compassion into action; uplifting and uniting communities locally and globally; online and offline.”
The tax documents disclosed that it only cites the relationship as “Strategic Support for Social Impact PR.” The Sun reports that a source says the payment wasn’t linked to the professional political work of Lelyveld but that she worked in this regard as an “experienced strategic adviser.”
Markle had to stay free of political opinions while she and Prince Harry held royal duties, but some believe she has been showing interest in politics, as she’s spoken out on topics such as the U.S. Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe vs. Wade.
In 2021, Markle reportedly called a number of U.S. senators on their personal phones to question them over a proposal for paid family leave.
“I’m in my car. I’m driving. It says caller ID blocked. Honestly… I thought it was Senator Manchin,” Sen. Shelley Capito told BBC News. “His calls come in blocked. And she goes ‘Senator Capito?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘This is Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.’ “
The senator didn’t disclose the full details of the conversation, but she did state she knew how Markle obtained her number.
Omid Scobie, Markle’s friend and biographer, has reportedly said she “has her eyes set on the presidency.”
For now, the couple seems focused on their philanthropy work and Prince Harry’s recent release of his memoir, “Spare.”
