Jeffrey Katzenberg Event Raises $4.5 Million for House Democrats
By Ted Johnson
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Jeffrey Katzenberg hosted a fundraiser on Monday night in Beverly Hills that raised more than $4.5 million for the House Majority PAC, seeking to win back Democratic control of the House, organizers said.
The event, held at Spago in Beverly Hills, was priced at $25,000-per-person, with tickets rising to $250,000 per person for co-chairs. Among the guests were House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and California Gov. Jerry Brown. A source said that Pelosi and Brown talked about issues including climate change, healthcare, the border, and the nuclear weapons threat.
“America’s best days are ahead of us, but only if Democrats win back the House and put an end to the divisiveness and intolerance coming from this White House,” Katzenberg said in a statement. “House Majority PAC has led the way countering the flood of desperate spending that GOP outside groups are funneling into critical House races.”
The money will go to candidates in California, where Democrats see some of their best hopes of flipping seats. The House Majority PAC was involved in the effort to prevent Republicans in some of those districts from taking the top two ballot positions in the open primary.
Andy Spahn, the president of Gonring, Spahn and Associates, which helped organize the event, said in a statement that “last night is clear evidence of how much energy there is around Democrats’ efforts to take back the House. Everyone is stepping up.”
Republicans also were raising money on Monday night in Beverly Hills to retain control of Congress. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy appeared at was billed as a “fireside chat” with Ivanka Trump for Protect the House, a joint fundraising committee established by McCarthy and Vice President Mike Pence. Mary Hart was moderator, according to the invite.
Also taking place Monday was an event for the Obama Foundation at the home of J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath. According to an invite, the evening was billed as a conversation with former First Lady Michelle Obama, with Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett moderating.
