Pence quietly courts big donors, corporate execs
WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence has been courting scores of the country’s most influential donors, corporate executives and conservative political leaders over the past several months in a series of private gatherings and one-on-one conversations.
The centerpiece of the effort is a string of dinners held every few weeks at the vice president’s official residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory in Washington. Pence and his wife, Karen, have presided over at least four such soirees, and more are in the works.
Each has drawn roughly 30 to 40 guests, including a mix of wealthy donors such as Chicago hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin and brokerage firm founder Charles Schwab, as well as GOP fundraisers and executives from companies like Dow Chemical and military contractor United Technologies.
The guests and their families collectively donated or helped raise millions of dollars to support the Trump-Pence ticket in 2016, and some are viewed in Republican finance circles as likely supporters for two new groups created to advocate for President Donald Trump, Pence, their legislative agenda and congressional allies.
The dinner guest lists were curated in part by two of Pence’s closest advisers, who have also played important roles in starting the new political groups, America First Policies and America First Action. Pence has appeared at recent events outside his official residence with prospective donors to the groups.
The off-site events and dinners at Pence’s residence underscore the vice president’s outreach to donors for an administration led by a president who dislikes courting contributors. Pence’s activities have fueled speculation among Republican insiders that he is laying the foundation for his own political future, independent from Trump.
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. They cast the donor dinners as an effort to build support for the administration’s agenda, not for Pence personally.
“Mike Pence is the ultimate team player and works every day to help the president succeed,” said Robert T. Grand, an Indianapolis lawyer who helped raise money for Pence’s campaigns in Indiana for Congress and for governor. Grand attended a dinner at the vice president’s residence in June.
“Any administration, past and present, has an interest in getting to know folks,” he added. “If you’re an incumbent president and vice president, then that’s part of what you do.”