At Private Dinners, Pence Quietly Courts Big Donors and Corporate Executives
Mr. Trump frequently said that because of his own real estate fortune, he didn’t need or want support from wealthy donors or the political
groups known as “super PACs,” to which donors can give seven-figure donations and which Mr. Trump blasted as “very corrupt.”
Mr. Pence’s aides point out that he also has dinners at the residence for groups other than donors,
including members of Congress, world leaders, military families, civic leaders and friends.
The off-site events and dinners at Mr. Pence’s residence underscore the vice president’s outreach to donors for an administration
led by a president who dislikes courting contributors, who often expect personal attention in exchange for their support.
Marc Lotter, Mr. Pence’s press secretary, called the dinners “private” and said
that the vice president had not held any political fund-raisers at his residence, which would be complicated by a law barring the solicitation of political contributions in government buildings.
If you’re an incumbent president and vice president, then that’s part of what you do.”
Mr. Pence’s office declined to release the lists of guests invited to the dinners, which have
not appeared on schedules released by the vice president’s office to the news media.
