British guitarist Eric Clapton attempted to make a donation supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s U.S. presidential run but the campaign refunded his contribution, which “went way over the legal limit,” Insider reported Friday.
The three-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee seemingly tried to give the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist $5,000 for his Democratic White House bid before the donation was flagged for a “Refund in subsequent period,” according to a federal election filing.
The amount conflicts with federal campaign finance laws that cap contributions from individuals at $3,300 in a primary or general election.
Campaigns are also barred from accepting donations from foreign nationals.
An address listed in the filing is tied to the site of a boarding school in Surrey, England, called Hurtwood House, which is not far from a Clapton residence named Hurtwood Edge Estate.
Previously, Clapton took part in an anti-vaccine discussion in a 2021 episode of Kennedy’s podcast. Clapton has also separately railed against — and released songs criticizing — COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccines.
In an email to HuffPost, the Kennedy campaign wrote that “while Mr. Clapton’s support is greatly appreciated,” it “refunded the contribution because he is not a U.S. citizen.”
HuffPost has reached out to Clapton and Hurtwood House for comment on the federal election filing.
Kennedy’s campaign — which has sparked interest among conservative figures such as Tucker Carlson, Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon — has also reported raising $6.3 million since April.
Meanwhile, incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden — along with the Democratic National Committee and other entities — raised $72 million in the second quarter of 2023, putting his total cash on hand at $77 million, according to a campaign announcement Friday.