• A slow cooker or Crock-Pot can be a valuable yet underutilized tool in your kitchen.
• A slow cooker can make many cozy comfort foods, from stews to simple soups and roasted meats.
• Meats like brisket and short ribs become tender when made in a slow cooker.

There's nothing better than coming home to the comforting aroma of beef stew or pasta sauce simmering in a Crock-Pot, especially on those particularly cold winter days.

As the weather turns cooler, it's the perfect time to bring out your Crock-Pot or slow cooker to prepare hearty meals that cook on their own during the workday.

Business Insider spoke with chefs and cookbook authors about their favorite comforting slow-cooker meals, from hearty beef stews and chowders to brisket, and researched celebrity chef's go-to Crock-Pot dishes. 

Here are 17 cozy comfort-food dishes you can make in a slow cooker, according to chefs.

Short ribs become extra tender when slow cooked.

Short ribs are one of cookbook author Kim Laidlaw's favorite things to make in a Crock-Pot, and they're a go-to on a chilly winter day.

In her cookbook, "Everyday Slow Cooking: Modern Recipes for Delicious Meals," Laidlaw gives multiple different recipes for short ribs, and she recommends trying them for a meal featuring other sides.

"If you do them in a slow cooker, then the meat is out of the way," she told Business Insider. "Then, you can focus on other side dishes like polenta or risotto."

Stew is one of those slow-cooker meals where you can practically toss in the ingredients and walk away.

Beef, turkey, or chicken stew is a perfect stick-to-your-bones meal during the cold winter and fall months.

"Beef stew is really nice in the slow cooker," Laidlaw said. "That's something I grew up on with the slow cooker, and it's just as good today."

But stew is also hassle-free.

"Slow cookers are perfect in the winter for soups and stews," Laidlaw said. "The best part is that you can set it in the morning and walk away."

Corn chowder is another simple meal you can make with a few inexpensive ingredients.

If you make this chowder in the fall, you can use in-season fresh corn as is suggested in this celebrity chef-approved Martha Stewart recipe, found on the chef's website.

However, you can also take the easy route by choosing canned corn from the store. The chowder is flavorful yet light and uses heartwarming ingredients like heavy cream, bacon, and baby red potatoes.

Brisket is another meat that becomes super tender in a slow cooker.

Laidlaw's recipe for slow-cooked braised brisket includes garlic, onion, dry red wine, carrot, and chicken or beef stock, with a chimichurri sauce.

"Brisket is a natural partner for the slow cooker, as a gentle braise renders it meltingly tender," Laidlaw writes in "Everyday Slow Cooking."

Ribs can also be made in a Crock-Pot.

"Ribs do really well in the slow cooker, and you can always stick them under the broiler in the end to crisp them up," Laidlaw said.

Bolognese sauce is another great way to utilize your Crock-Pot.

"Bolognese is great because you can cook it for a long time," Laidlaw said. "You just have to remember that the sauce doesn't evaporate the same as it would if you were doing it on the stove. You definitely need to compensate and put less liquid in the pot if you're using a slow cooker."

You can also make mac and cheese in a slow cooker.

Celebrity chef Martha Stewart's recipe for slow-cooker mac and cheese is not only easy to make but super delicious and perfect for the fall and winter seasons.

"It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyere or pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor," Stewart writes.

Chicken stock and broth are two kitchen staples you can make in a Crock-Pot.

Hugh Acheson's slow-cooker chicken broth is pretty simple — all you'll need is a whole chicken, salt, garlic cloves, white onions, carrots, celery, and a few seasonings to taste. 

You can find the full recipe for Acheson's chicken broth in his book, "The Chef and the Slow Cooker."

You can also make chicken soup in a slow cooker.

"A simple soup with Thai chilis, coconut milk, and lime is just wickedly good," Acheson said.

The recipe for Acheson's slow cooker chicken soup with chiles, coconut milk, and lime can be found here on Garden & Gun. Or, if you're feeling a little more adventurous, Acheson also said a slow cooker is a perfect way to make delicious chicken and dumplings.

Meatballs are another warming meal to make in a slow cooker.

Acheson points out that not only are meatballs, like the veal meatballs he includes in his book, easy and delicious to make, but they're a comforting, kid-friendly option you can make in a slow cooker.

"Slow cookers are not necessarily the best tool for cooking for one — they work so much better for nourishing an entire family," he said.

Acheson said his go-to slow-cooker meal on a winter's day is lentil soup with a little sour cream.

"I usually go for something that won't take too long," Acheson said. "Usually, I go for a lentil soup with Tuscan kale and a little sour cream and herbs on top. To me, that's the type of food you want as you're watching the snow fall down."

The recipe for Acheson's lentil soup with Tuscan kale can be found here on Cup of Jo.

Acheson also points out that large batches of soup are great for the next day.

Braised and pulled chicken is another great way to use your Crock-Pot.

One of the benefits of using a slow cooker is starting with a basic protein and jazzing it up.

From Mexican food-inspired spices to Indian simmer sauces, there are tons of ways to transform simple braised or pulled chicken dishes into something show-stopping.

This recipe from Delish tells you how to make slow-cooker barbecue pulled chicken.

Pork shoulder is a slow-cooker staple you can use in a number of dishes.

"One dish I think is so versatile is pork shoulder in a slow cooker with broth and a little salt and pepper," Laidlaw said. "I just braise that and then you can turn into so many different things."

Laidlaw explained that using a pork shoulder, you can make everything from pulled-pork sliders to carnitas tacos or burritos.

You can also prepare a leg of lamb in the slow cooker, but you might want to sear it first.

"Leg of lamb is so good as it breaks down in the slow cooker," Acheson said. "Cooking in the slow cooker and then finishing another way is going to make sure your meat is at its best. Whether that means re-searing the meat or throwing it under the broiler, you might want to think about other steps to really finish off your meal."

Laidlaw added, "Recipes that have you throw everything in without any prep ahead are not nearly as good or as flavorful as the ones that do. Taking ten minutes to brown the meat before you put it in or getting the onions started goes a long way to making your meals more delicious."

You can also make poached or braised fish in the slow cooker.

"It's really about rethinking recipes and figuring out how to do it in the slow cooker," Acheson said.

One of the "best recipes" Acheson said he uses from his book is one for a braised catfish stew, the recipe for which can be found on Garden & Gun.

"It's got this long-cooking, beautiful broth that's just a vision at the end," he told Business Insider. "It's got chilies, peppers, and mace — big flavors. It just works perfectly. When slow cooking, you really want to choose a dish that works well simmering potentially all day."

Goat shoulder is another delicious meal you can make in a Crock-Pot.

"These days, goat shoulder doesn't have that gamey taste it might have had before," Acheson said. "When you're talking about cooking a large piece of meat, a slow cooker is a great place to start."

You can even make a comforting dessert like cheesecake in a Crock-Pot.

One of the desserts Laidlaw includes in her book "Everyday Slow Cooking" is for gingersnap-brandy cheesecake, which would be perfect as a treat on a cold day or even a holiday dessert.

• Some Americans are struggling to find work due to a challenging labor market.
• Many have found temporary ways to generate some income while they look for jobs.
• These strategies aren't always enough to prevent significant financial challenges.

Americans who are struggling to land full-time jobs are finding creative ways to pay the bills while they search for work.

Juan Pelaez has been looking for a job for more than two years. To generate some income, Pelaez said he's driven for Uber Eats and Instacart, done some part-time work for his prior employer, and was a background actor in the coming film "Happy Gilmore 2." However, since he was laid off from his account executive job at a marketing agency, Pelaez said he and his wife have taken on tens of thousands of dollars in debt from credit cards and personal loans.

Pelaez, 47, is based in New Jersey and said he earned about $3,500 across roughly 22 days of work for the acting opportunity. Landing the gig has helped him get similar work on a few other productions.

"It has not accounted for a full-time position salary, but it has been a great help," he told Business Insider.

Pelaez is among the Americans who have had a hard time finding work in recent years. Since October, more than 750 recent job seekers between the ages of 18 and 76 have responded to Business Insider's informal, nonrepresentative surveys and shared their stories with reporters through emails. Some said they've faced stiff competition for white-collar roles, while others shared that they couldn't land a job in their industry, despite having an advanced degree.

Their struggles have been driven in part by a widespread hiring slowdown in the US. Excluding a two-month pandemic-related dip in 2020, US businesses are hiring at the lowest rate since 2013. Among the nearly 7 million unemployed individuals as of December, about 1.5 million had been looking for work for at least six months — up from 1.1 million a year prior. To be sure, the unemployment rate remains low compared with historical levels.

The job seekers who BI heard from said part-time employment, gig work, selling their belongings, and other strategies have helped them stay afloat financially, but many continue to face significant financial challenges.

Are you looking for a job and comfortable sharing your story with a reporter? Did an AI job tool help you land a job recently? Please fill out this form.

Many earning opportunities don't replace a full-time job

Some job seekers told BI they found part-time roles, but the jobs haven't paid enough to cover the bills.

Rhonda Alexander has been looking for customer success management jobs since being laid off from her tech role in March 2023. To earn some income, Alexander, who's 55 and based in Illinois, started working part-time as an AI content engineer last April. She said the role involved evaluating the quality of AI-generated content.

Alexander said she enjoyed the work but was paid $21 an hour, which she felt wasn't enough to support herself. She said that her contract came to an end in late December.

"It seems that I am back on this miserable roller coaster of seeking a role in order to literally put food on the table and a roof over my head," she said. Going forward, Alexander said she's focused on developing new income streams, including becoming a notary. She's also driven for Uber and DoorDash in recent months.

Amanda Wilson has been looking for work for months. She quit her part-time caregiving gig in July — which she said was unsustainable due to the long commute and the physical demands of the job. She said an injury she suffered last year has limited her.

The 35-year-old, who's based in Arizona, said she's applied to hundreds of jobs — including customer service and management roles — but has only received an offer for one job: a different part-time caregiving gig where she's working 10 hours a week.

To earn some income, Wilson said she sold her Xbox One and a few video games for about $150, as well as three swords from her collection for about $100 each. But this money wasn't enough: Wilson said she's been forced to max out her credit cards and draw upon her savings.

"Right now, I can afford rent and my car payment for this coming month, but that's it," she said in December, adding, "I will probably have to sell off more things."

Meanwhile, Pelaez is hopeful that boosting his skills — and reflecting those changes on his résumé — will help him land a job that matches his experience level. For example, he said he's working toward Google's data analytics certificate through Coursera. While he's continued his gig driving and acting work, he said he temporarily paused his job search in October.

"With the overwhelming ghosting and lack of feedback from prospective employers, it becomes a cycle of never-ending applications," he said.

• After over 25 cruises, I know how to book the best cabin on a cruise — and which I prefer to avoid.
• Cabins in the ship's rear or on the bottom two decks can feel rocky during sea days.
• I avoid rooms next to elevators, below gyms, or above theaters to reduce my risk of noisy neighbors.

After going on over 25 cruises, I've learned what I really value and dislike on my sailings — especially when it comes to where I sleep.

First of all, even though it can save me money, I don't let the cruise line choose my room, as it can result in me being stuck with cabins near noisy venues or with obstructed views.

Instead, I make strategic choices and consider a few crucial factors when choosing my ideal stateroom location.

Here are the cruise rooms I always try to avoid booking.

Cabins at the back of the ship can have great views but major drawbacks.

The aft, or ship's rear, provides perfect panoramic views. During one Western Caribbean Princess Cruises, I upgraded to a suite in the ship's aft.

Although the wraparound balcony was beautiful, it was super rocky, especially on sea days. Plus, these rooms tend to be noisier because they're usually near the ship's engines.

While sailing in the back of other ships, I've experienced engine noise and vibration, particularly when entering and exiting ports of call.

I don't book cabins one or two floors above a theater, nightclub, or live-music venue.

Although it may seem convenient to be near onboard entertainment hot spots, the risk of pulsating noise isn't worth it for me.

To determine where these sorts of venues are on a ship, check the cruise line's website or conduct a quick internet search for "[ship name] deck plans."

It feels too risky to book any cabins beneath sports courts, a pool, or a gym.

Soundproofing can vary from poor to excellent, depending on the cruise line, ship, and ship's age.

Although most cruisers hear occasional noise from neighboring cabins and in the hallways, the sound can feel near-constant if you're situated near highly trafficked public spaces.

I never book near recreational areas because the dribbling of basketballs and pounding from running can sometimes be heard within the cabins directly below. I also avoid rooms beneath the gym because some people like to drop their weights.

Lastly, I skip staterooms one floor below the pool so I don't need to worry about hearing music from concerts or the sound of deck chairs scraping across the floor.

I'll skip oceanview rooms on the same deck as running tracks or lifeboats.

On many decks with running tracks, passersby can easily see into your room, so you have to remember to keep the curtains shut, which defeats the purpose of having a porthole or window.

I also never book oceanview rooms on the same deck as lifeboats because they can obscure the view.

When I sailed on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady, I was given a complimentary upgrade from interior cabin to one with an obstructed-view sea terrace. It was nice to have natural sunlight streaming into the room, but I'd never pay extra for a view of the lifeboats.

You won't catch me choosing a stateroom on the bottom two decks of a ship.

Cabins on the lower levels of a ship tend to cost less than higher ones, but that discount usually comes with drawbacks. I don't book these because they're often more subject to engine noise and extreme ship rocking.

If I had to choose a room on a low deck, I'd pick one midship where there tends to be less motion.

I wouldn't book staterooms in the bow of the ship.

I never book staterooms in the forward because they can be too close to the anchors. A cruise ship typically has at least two at the bow, one on the starboard (right) and one on the port (left).

On some ships, passengers close to the anchors can hear when they're dropped.

The top deck isn't for me.

I don't book staterooms on the top deck — it doesn't matter what type they are.

Although these rooms tend to have the best views, they're usually adjacent to noisy and high-traffic areas like the buffet and pool.

I avoid staterooms directly across or right next to the elevators.

Elevator banks are high-traffic areas on cruise ships, especially on embarkation, port, and disembarkation days. Although it's convenient to be near them, the noise risk isn't worth it.

Instead, I book staterooms that are five to 10 cabins away from the elevators, so I'm midship and close to the elevators.

Generally, I try to choose midship cabins on the middle decks.

For me, a midship cabin on a ship's middle decks is ideal for avoiding excess noise and rocking.

Many ships divide their decks into thirds, and the midship cabins tend to be the most expensive (probably because they're quite desirable).

To save money while reaping the benefits, I try to book the first room on either side of the midship — the difference is only a few feet.

• The European Aviation Safety Agency has warned against flying over western Russia.
• It said there was a risk of airliners being misidentified and shot down.
• Many airlines have been avoiding Russia since it invaded Ukraine, but others still fly there.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has warned airlines against flying over western Russia due to the risk of being shot down.

It comes after Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was severely damaged while coming to land at Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya, on Christmas Day.

Of the 67 people on board, 38 died. Azerbaijan's president and a White House official have said the Embraer E190 appeared to have been shot by Russian air defense systems.

"The ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses the risk of civil aircraft being unintentionally targeted in the airspace of the Russian Federation," EASA said in Thursday's bulletin.

The warning applies to Russian airspace west of the 60th meridian east, which includes the cities of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.

EASA said Russia "has not demonstrated full proficiency to address existing airspace risks by implementing an efficient and proactive approach to the airspace deconfliction."

No European Union airlines have flown to or over Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

This has caused complications on flights to eastern Asia, forcing airlines to find longer routes and increasing ticket prices. British Airways stopped flying directly to Beijing last October.

EASA's bulletin also applies to any airline that flies to or from the European Union. For example, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways fly to Moscow and several European countries.

The agency also noted that its EU Conflict Zone Alerting System was established following the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

In 2014, the Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile while passing over eastern Ukraine.

All 298 people on board the plane were killed.

• The US economy added 256,000 jobs in December, more than the forecast of 164,000.
• Unemployment was expected to hold steady at 4.2% but fell to 4.1%.
• Economists expect 2025 to be a tough labor market for job searchers.

The US labor market ended 2024 on a high note, adding 256,000 jobs in December, above the forecast of 164,000.

Unemployment unexpectedly dropped from 4.2% in November to 4.1% in December. The consensus expectation was that the rate would hold steady.

Labor force participation remained at 62.5% in December. The employment-population ratio increased from 59.8% in November to 60% in December.

Wage growth cooled slightly. Average hourly earnings increased to $35.69 in December, a 3.9% increase from a year earlier. Earnings rose by 4.0% in October and November.

Many sectors saw job growth, especially in healthcare. However, manufacturing, mining and logging, and utilities lost jobs in December.

The new jobs report likely won't derail the Federal Reserve's widely expected pause in its interest-rate easing campaign at its coming meeting after three rate cuts in a row.

CME FedWatch, which shows what traders think will happen to interest rates based on market activity, indicated after the jobs report a 97% chance that rates wouldn't be changed in the first scheduled Federal Open Market Committee meeting of 2025 on January 28 and 29, up from around 93% before the jobs report. There are eight scheduled FOMC meetings in 2025, but the Committee's members signaled in December that the Fed plans only two cuts this year.

In a press conference after the December meeting — where the Fed cut rates by 25 basis points — Fed chair Jerome Powell said that "the labor market is now looser than pre-pandemic" and is gradually still cooling down. He added further cooling isn't needed to reach the Fed's 2% inflation target.

Economists predict the job market in 2025 will be challenging for job searchers, and employers might be cautious in their hiring plans during the start of the year.

"While business sentiment has picked up somewhat since the election, there is still a lot of uncertainty about future policy changes that will likely make businesses hesitant to ramp up hiring, particularly in the first half of 2025," Dante DeAntonio, a labor economist with Moody's Analytics, said in a written statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

The U.S. economy added 256,000 jobs in the final month of 2024, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%, the Labor Department said on Friday.

Why it matters: Hiring unexpectedly roared in December, capping a year of resilient labor market conditions that defied naysayers and kept the economy humming.

• The report is being watched closely by Federal Reserve officials. Friday's strong figures will likely support expectations that the central bank might hold interest rates steady later this month, as the labor market shows few signs of slowing down.

By the numbers: The number is well above the roughly 155,000 jobs economists anticipated were added last month.

• In terms of revisions, the government said there were 212,000 payrolls in November — 15,000 fewer jobs than initially forecast.
• Meanwhile, jobs growth in October was revised slightly higher by 7,000 jobs to 43,000 payrolls.

What to watch: Jobs growth has held up, without the much-feared surge in layoffs, raising prospects that the economy can achieve a soft landing.

• But it's no guarantee that will continue. Inflation progress has stalled out, prompting many Fed officials to roll back how much the central bank anticipates lowering rates this year.
• Some Fed officials fear inflation could flare up again if President-elect Trump implements aggressive trade and deportation policies.

President-elect Trump said late Thursday that a meeting is in the works with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.

Why it matters: Trump said on the campaign trail that he would swiftly end the nearly three-year-old war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.

Driving the news: Putin "wants to meet, and we are setting it up," Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago Thursday.

• "We have to get that war over with. That's a bloody mess," he added.

Between the lines: Trump gave no timeline for the potential meeting.

• Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday that the Kremlin had not yet received an official request for contact, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
• However, Putin is prepared to meet with Trump without any conditions, Peskov added.

The big picture: Despite Trump's ambitious campaign promises, unnamed European officials told the Financial Times that Trump's team has now pushed the timeline for ending the conflict to "several months."

• According to the officials, Trump has not yet decided how to end the war and that aid to Ukraine is likely to continue after Trump's inauguration, the Financial Times reported Friday.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Trump's ability to help end the war earlier this month.

Go deeper: Ukraine's lame duck danger: Biden and Putin escalate before Trump arrives

• Jean Smart called on TV networks to consider not broadcasting award ceremonies following the LA fires.
• Some entertainment journalists said outright cancellations would hurt gig workers in LA the most.
• A debate has erupted on whether award season should go ahead at all.

Jean Smart called on TV networks to not broadcast this year's award ceremonies amid the Los Angeles wildfires, but some journalists believe this move would hurt those who work behind the scenes on the show.

The awards season has already been altered this week in response to the fires, which JPMorgan analysts estimate could result in losses of $50 billion.

On Wednesday, Joey Berlin, the CEO of the Critics Choice Association, said its awards ceremony would be pushed back to January 26. The SAG nominations broadcast has also been canceled.

Oscars nominations are now expected to be delayed by two days to January 19, per an email from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts reported by multiple outlets.

The Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

But some people think more should be done.

Smart, the Emmy-winning actor who stars in "Hacks," posted on Instagram on Wednesday: "With ALL due respect during Hollywood's season of celebration. I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have gathered to victims of the fires and the firefighters."

Brandon Lewis, a film critic, said on X that all the awards shows should be pushed back, adding: "I just don't see how anyone will be able to focus on something comparatively trivial like campaigning with people's homes destroyed and lives upended."

Some X users agreed, while others called for awards season to be canceled.

Eric Andersen, the founder and editor in chief of Awards Watch, an awards-focused outlet, and other users on X suggested that the networks and awards organizers should donate the revenue from broadcasts to people affected by the wildfires.

Andersen added that the award organizations would not generate any money without televising their shows.

The Academy Awards made $143.5 million in revenue in 2023 from the Oscars and related events, according to financial statements reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Marc Malkin, a senior editor at Variety, told KTLA 5 that "priorities have to shift," but Hollywood was a "gig economy" that relied on award shows.

"Makeup artists, hairstylists, drivers, waiters," Malkin said. "Yes, the celebrities are going to be fine. They don't need an awards show money-wise, but all of this gig economy, all of those people. It's a day rate. They're all going to lose work."

He added: "People rely on this to feed their kids, to pay their rent. We can't ignore that."

Maggie Lovitt, a Collider editor, Matthew Rettenmund, an author and freelance editor, and other users on X agreed with this sentiment.

Some users on Instagram also hit back against Smart's statement in her comments section, with one writing: "Productions shutting down will further contribute to the demise of LA. How will those of us rebuild if we can't work?"

• Elon Musk's $1 million sweepstake ended with a Michigan man winning the final prize.
• The selection process faced legal scrutiny for not being random, as the winners were handpicked.
• The last winner was paid thousands by the Trump campaign and was pictured at campaign events.

Elon Musk's controversial $1 million swing state giveaway concluded with the final prize going to a Michigan man who had worked on President-Elect Donald Trump's campaign.

The sweepstakes, funded by Musk through America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, distributed daily prizes in the lead-up to the election.

The prizes went to registered voters in swing states who signed an online petition pledging support for free speech and gun rights.

In return, participants received cash payments of up to $100 and a chance to win $1 million.

On the sweepstakes' final day, America PAC announced Tyler VanAkin of Reading, Michigan, as the last $1 million check recipient.

"Tyler was traveling but we were able to meet up with him before he boarded his flight," it said in a post on X.

However, it omitted key details about VanAkin's work for the Republican presidential campaign, and also that he was en route to Trump's election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Financial Times was the first to report the details, based on election filings.

The controversial giveaway

In announcing the sweepstake on October 19, Musk said, "We're gonna be awarding a million dollars, randomly, every day from now until the election."

It was later revealed that it was not random at all and that America PAC was hand-selecting recipients.

In October, Philadelphia County District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk and his super PAC, characterizing it as an illegal lottery scheme.

But Judge Angelo Foglietta of Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas allowed the giveaway to continue in Pennsylvania, writing in a decision that Musk's giveaway failed to meet the criteria required for a lottery under Pennsylvania law.

One of those criteria is that winners need to be chosen at random.

During the hearing, America PAC's treasurer testified that those chosen to win were "selected by the organization in a multi-step process."

The PAC said this involved reviewing participants' social media posts and meeting them in person.

Musk's lawyers also said at the hearing that individuals were selected based on their "suitability" to serve as spokespersons for the PAC, and that the windfall would not be lottery winnings but compensation for being chosen as spokespeople.

The Trump campaign paid him for 'advance consulting'

A year-end FEC filing by America PAC shows that VanAkin was paid $1 million on November 12, 2024, a week after his win was announced, for his services as a "spokesperson consultant."

The other announced winners are also listed in the filing, but only VanAkin received income from political committees, per the Financial Times.

FEC filings for the Trump campaign show that VanAkin worked for them between June and October, earning a little over $14,200 for "advance consulting & per diem," and receiving more than $16,300 in travel reimbursements.

Instagram posts also show that VanAkin, who works as a chiropractor, attended a bus tour stop with campaign staff, wearing a Trump-Vance branded jacket, and was in attendance at the West Palm Beach election watch party.

America PAC, the Trump campaign, and VanAkin did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.