CNN president Jeff Zucker praised Kamala Harris at a Manhattan breakfast he hosted for her during her campaign to become the California attorney general.

The revelation, first reported by India Abroad, comes days before Harris will appear on Zucker’s network for the second round of Democratic presidential primary debates.

“Kamala is not just important for the city of San Francisco, the state of California, but for the entire country,” Zucker said to a crowd at Rockefeller Center in 2009 while he was president of NBC Universal.

A CNN spokeswoman confirmed the event to the news outlet McClatchy.

“[Zucker] was then CEO of NBC Universal, and was introducing the DA to some of his colleagues in an informal setting,” Allison Gollust told the outlet.

“He has seen her a handful of times in the last 10 years, all in his capacity as a journalist. His relationship with the senator is no different than any other national politician, and he has never endorsed her, or anyone, in any capacity.”

Harris will appear alongside nine other Democratic candidates for Wednesday’s 8 p.m. CNN debate.