Jeffrey Katzenberg Officially Joins Joe Biden Hollywood Fundraiser As Co-Chair; Ex-DWA Boss Was Big Obama Donor
In a now very crowded field of Democrats, Joe Biden’s third run for the White House has the deepest pocketed Hollywood donor to the ex-Vice President’s boss putting his money on the table.
Big time Barack Obama supporters Jeffrey Katzenberg and wife Marilyn are now officially co-chairing the May 8 at the Beverly Hills home of former Ambassador to Spain and HBO exec James Costos and his partner and ex-White House interior designer Michael Smith.
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“Expect there will be a huge turnout for this L.A. event,” Andy Spahn, President of Gonring, Spahn and Associates and Katzenberg’s long time political advisor, told Deadline. The firm is assisting with next month’s event.
Coming off today’s long anticipated announcement by Biden that he truly is in the 2020 race to retire Donald Trump, the move by the ex-DreamWorks Animation chief is about as much of a surprise as the campaign of the former Delaware Senator. Granted he has spread around some cash to other candidates this election season, but historically Katzenberg was often on hand when Biden stumped in town for the 44th POTUS, Hilary Clinton and Congressional and Senate candidates over the years.
In fact, the current WndrCo CEO officially hosted Biden as recently as last September when the politician hit up the Tinseltown ATM for his PAC and the 2018 midterms.
Having entered the Presidential race via video this morning, Biden is already out looking for cash with a Philadelphia fundraiser tonight at the home of Comcast lobbyist David Cohen. Besides the big checks the former Veep will undoubtedly be receiving this evening, the location is strategic as Trump’s victory in the Keystone State was on of the core elements of his electoral victory in 2016.
An honorary resident in many locals’ eyes, Biden is targeting such state as Pennsylvania and Michigan as essential to a win in November next year.
As for next month’s West Coast shindig, Peter and Megan Chernin, Sony’s Tom Rothman and Jessica Harper, ICM Partners’ Chris Silbermann and Julia Franz, former Google/Alphabet chief Eric Schmidt, ex-HBO heavyweight Michael Lombardo and Sonny Ward, CBS Films boss Terry Press and Rob Reiner and wife Michelle are also co-chairing the Biden event.
That’s a pretty big league group but the ticket prices are much more down to Earth that what Obama fundraisers used to ask and what POTUS 45 wanted for his recent trip to town. The Biden event runs from $2,800 to $10,000 for co-hosts, according to the invite.
Now that Uncle Joe is running for President, expect a lot more return visits over the next year or so from him and others in his party looking for those vital Hollywood dollars.
Variety first broke the news of the Katzenbergs’ co-chairing.
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