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WASHINGTON — A woman who organized a petition calling on House Democrats to stop Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from becoming speaker could stand to take in more than half a million dollars from the effort.
Nicole Whitted is a Change.org “ambassador,” which means she will make money from her signature drive that has been boosted by the likes of actor Mark Ruffalo.
As of mid-October, Change.org promised ambassadors a “guaranteed advance based on your audience size, plus $0.30-$0.50 for every signature” their petition garners.
Whitted’s petition has amassed at least 1,095,000 signatures, potentially netting her a profit of $547,500.
Change.org recently adjusted the benefits explanation, claiming ambassadors get an “upfront payment, plus monthly earnings equal to 95% of what supporters chip in.”
One estimate on the site projected that a petition with more than 200,000 signatures would earn an ambassador around $80,000.
Change.org and Whitted didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Whitted’s potential windfall has not gone unnoticed, with organizers launching a separate petition demanding that she fork over the dough to fund an organized effort to replace Jeffries (D-NY) as House Democratic leader when lawmakers gather to vote Nov. 19.
“Hakeem Jeffries is simply not the right choice,” read Whitted’s petition, which was started in September. “We believe the Speaker should represent the Democratic voters, not just the Democratic establishment.”
“We are calling on every member of the incoming 120th Congress to vote against Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker in January 2027 and choose a different candidate.”
Despite Whitted’s efforts, Jeffries, 56, is the overwhelming favorite to be chosen as the first black House Speaker in US history after the new Congress convenes Jan. 3.
