Hillary Clinton’s Final L.A. Campaign Fundraiser Will Be at Site Steeped in Hollywood-D.C. History
When Hillary Clinton makes her final swing through Los Angeles to raise money for her campaign on Thursday, she’ll be on property that is the site of plenty of history of Hollywood’s nexus with D.C.
The event, where Elton John will perform, will be at the new Beverly Hills home of Casey and Laura Wasserman. It’s a residence that was built on the same property where Casey’s grandfather, Lew, and his wife, Edie Wasserman, lived for decades, hosting Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and many others for fundraisers.
In fact, it is fitting that Hillary Clinton’s final event will be at the home on Foothill Road in Beverly Hills. In 1991, Bill Clinton attended his first major introduction to Hollywood fundraising circles at the home, when the Wassermans hosted an event that August for the Democratic National Committee. They threw another fundraiser for him in August of 1992, and then after he won the presidency that December, according to Variety archives.
Other guests at the home through the years including a host of governors and senators, as well as Henry Kissinger when he was secretary of state. Carter was a largely unknown Georgia governor when he first met Lew Wasserman, but he said in a 1982 interview that Wasserman’s backing proved “extremely helpful.” “When I decided to run, Mr. Wasserman was one of the first out-of-state-people I told,” Carter said, according to the book “Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood.” “People respected his judgment in political affairs.”
Tickets to Hillary Clinton’s event start at $33,400 per person, including dinner, and go up to $100,000 per person.
Casey Wasserman, the CEO of the sports and marketing firm Wasserman Media Group, also has had a longtime friendship with the Clintons. His wife, Laura, is the granddaughter of attorney Paul Ziffren, a friend of Lew Wasserman’s and prominent Democratic party leader. (Ziffren was chairman of the group that helped win Los Angeles’ bid for the 1984 Olympics; Casey Wasserman is leading the effort for the 2024 games.)
The Wassermans are co-hosting the event with Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg, Sean and Alexandra Parker, Haim and Cheryl Saban, Chris and Crystal Sacca, and Thomas and Alba Tull.
Clinton is expected to attend a pre-event roundtable for about 20 people, where guests are expected to include the Parkers and showbiz figures such as Seth MacFarlane, according to sources.
The home, in the process of completing its finishing touches, was designed by Richard Meier’s architectural firm.
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