Public university paid Soledad O'Brien $40k for two-hour speaking engagement

O'Brien agreed to speak at Oklahoma State University for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

'For $40,000 I’d rather have more parking,' one student told Campus Reform.

Oklahoma State University, a public university, paid Soledad O’Brien $40,000 for her keynote speech commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

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Campus Reform obtained a copy of the agreement between the university and the journalist, who previously appeared on CNN. 

In total, the Appearance Agreement stipulated two hours’ worth of work including a “1-Hour Q&A session with journalism students.” 

Maddison Farris, a student at Oklahoma State, took issue with the event’s price tag.

“For $40,000 I’d rather have more parking,” Farris told Campus Reform.

[RELATED: Colleges are using MLK Day to push CRT & Dems’ voting legislation]

O’Brien does have a history of anti-conservative rhetoric. In 2019, for example, she tweeted that Trump supporters were “trash.” 

Though the contract was signed in summer 2021, Oklahoma State did not announce O’Brien’s upcoming appearance until November. 

Campus Reform reached out to Oklahoma State University and Soledad O’Brien for comment; this article will be updated accordingly. 

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