WikiLeaks E-Mail: Wasserman Schultz Tried To Wrangle White House Invitation For Fund Raiser

 

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

 

U. S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz takes care of her friends, especially if they are raising boat loads of money for Democrats like her.

Wasserman Schultz begged the White House for an invitation to a May 13 state dinner for Democratic high roller Mitchell Berger of Fort Lauderdaleaccording to an e-mail from Democratic National Committee files posted on WikiLeaks.

 

debbie wasserman

 

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

 

 

The dinner was held for the leaders of five Nordic Counties — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Wasserman Schultz told the White House that Berger deserved an invitation to the dinner because “he is a major supporter and helped us a lot on the Iran vote.”

The e-mail doesn’t explain how Berger helped on the Iran vote.

Approval of the agreement with Iran by the Obama Administration is controversial among Jewish voters and others in Wasserman Schultz’s Broward district.  Her support for the agreement remains an issue in her Democratic primary race against Tim Canova, who came out against the treaty during a televised debate on Sunday.

Wasserman Schultz didn’t get the dinner ticket for Berger.  The White House said the request came in just three days before the dinner, which was “too late” to vet him.

 

Mitchell Berger

 Mitchell Berger

Even after Wasserman Schultz was unable to get Berger the state dinner invitation, he helped raise money for her. He was on the host committee for an August 5 dinner featuring Vice President Joe Biden that benefitted her campaign.

A top fund raiser for Democrats, Berger has raised millions of dollars over more than two decades.

Selling White House access to wealthy donors goes back at least to President Warren G. Harding in the 1920s.  He reserved overnights at the White House and seats at the presidential poker table for donors who forked over $1 million or more for campaigns.

President Bill Clinton’s guests in the Lincoln Bedroom gave a total of at least $5.4 million to the Democratic National Committee during 1995 and 1996, according to CNN.

President George W. Bush’s White House guests frequently included some of his biggest donors or fundraisers, known as pioneers, and their families. Each had raised or contributed at least $100,000 for the Bush’s campaign, said Mother Jones magazine.

Supporters who raised or donated at least $500,000 to President Barack Obama’s campaign were invited to quarterly meetings with him, The New York Times wrote.

So Wasserman Schultz seeking a dinner invitation for Berger is not unusual.

A wealthy downtown Fort Lauderdale lawyer, Berger’s firm has represented major developers like Bergeron Companies and other big businesses like ATT. He also was one of the Democratic lawyers representing Vice President Al Gore in the post-2000 election Florida lawsuits in Bush v. Gore

Other e-mails in the WikiLeak trove show that when Wasserman Schultz was chair of the Democratic National Committee, she favored Hillary Clinton in her campaign against U. S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.  Shortly after WikiLeaks published the e-mails stolen from the Democrats, Wasserman Schultz resigned her DNC post.

Berger’s biography sent to the White House indicate he also was part of Team Clinton.

The e-mail chain is below:

 

 

—–Original Message—– > From: Dyer, Deesha [mailto:Deesha_Dyer@who.eop.gov] >

Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 5:59 PM >

To: Hicks Delgado, Tequia M. EOP/WHO <Tequia_M_HicksDelgado@who.eop.gov>;

Dory, Henock M. EOP/WHO <Henock_M_Dory@who.eop.gov>; Mahoney, Caitria L. EOP/WHO <caitria_l_mahoney@who.eop.gov> >

Subject: RE: Nordic Leaders State Dinner Request from DWS > >

Unfortunately, we can’t. It’s really too late with vetting. > > > >

 

From: Hicks Delgado, Tequia >

Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 5:58 PM >

To: Dory, Henock; Dyer, Deesha; Mahoney, Caitria >

Subject: FW: Nordic Leaders State Dinner Request from DWS > > > >

 

Any way we can get this Debbie Wasserman Schultz ask into the Nordic Dinner Friday? Here’s her rationale/bio for this invite (no guest). She says he is a major supporter and helped us a lot on the Iran vote. > > > >

 

Mitchell Berger has been involved at a significant level in National and Florida State politics and policy on behalf of the Democratic Party since 1975. A Field Director for Jimmy Carter in Eastern Pennsylvania in the 1976 campaign, Mr. Berger went on to work for the Carter administration in the Department of Transportation. During the Clinton administration, Mr. Berger had positions with the Small Business Advisory Council, the Environmental Finance Advisory Board and as Chairman of the Board of Sallie Mae. At Salle Mae, Mr. Berger led the efforts to privatize the government sponsored enterprise. Mr. Berger also served as the Chair of the Federal Victory Fund for the DNC for the 2000 Presidential election. He was also one of the lead lawyers representing Vice President Gore and Senator Joe Lieberman in the cases commonly known as Bush v. Gore. Mr. Berger co-chaired the Battleground Victory Fund for Kerry-Edwards and was a significant contributor to the financial and election protection efforts in both Obama-Biden campaigns. He is amongst the national leaders in Secretary Clinton’s fundraising efforts and is serving as an advisor for environmental outreach for her campaign. On a State level, Mr. Berger has served as the Florida Democratic Party’s Finance Chair on several occasions and has served on the State’s Environmental Regulation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District, the lead state agency with responsibility for Everglades restoration. > > >



11 Responses to “WikiLeaks E-Mail: Wasserman Schultz Tried To Wrangle White House Invitation For Fund Raiser”

  1. A reader says:

    OMG! Sometimes money does not talk loud enough. Maybe Mr. Berger had to settle for a burger the night of the dinner.

  2. Follow the money says:

    If you are looking for the link that this man has to Iran it just may involve Bridgewater Associates and the Toronto Dominion Bank….
    No wonder they wanted to distance him from the administration.
    And the Nordic countries have close ties to Iranian Oil.

  3. tom lubart says:

    sorry, but I don’t see this as any big deal. she didn’t ask that policy be changed to favor him, she didn’t ask that he be given a tax break. she asked he be invited to a state dinner.

  4. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    I always thought Mr Berger was a big cheese as the papers always say hoe much money he raises.
    I realize Congresswoman asked LATE and I cant see the personal connection he would have with “Nordic Nations” But frankly it shows how little clout Mr Berger has AFTER 40 years as normally IF HE HAD CLOUT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN OFFERED A SEAT AT ANOTHER STATE DINNER.
    Personally seeing people in business suits at State Dinners for this Administration why would anyone wsnt to go.
    State Dinners havent mattered since the late 60s when formal dress was abandoned and tuxedos n dinner jackets were permitted

  5. Ha Ha Ha says:

    Wasserman Schultz will lose her seat to Tim Canova two weeks from now.

    Tim cares a lot more about the people of his district than about wealthy Fort Lauderdale lawyers.

  6. Pancho says:

    Wasn’t the Bergeron Group involved in trying for force the for-profit CCA prison on Pembroke Pines? Did Berger have anything to do with that?

  7. SelfLoather says:

    Why would someone who is Jewish support that crap deal with Iran. Way to go Mitchell.

  8. HillaryIn2016And2020 says:

    Really #7?
    You know sh*t about the Iran deal.

    Iran has completely destroyed their plutonium manufacturing plant. Encased it in concrete.
    Fact!
    Iran has removed 98% of its enriched uranium stockpile.
    Fact!
    “Over the last year, the Iran deal has succeeded in rolling back Iran’s nuclear program, avoiding further conflict and making us safer,” President Obama trumpeted in a statement.
    A reported sale by the Boeing Co. of 80 to 100 passenger jets to Iran. It would be the first major commercial deal between a U.S. company and the Islamic Republic in decades. Worth $28,000,000,000.00.
    Fact!
    Iran got rid of thousands of centrifuges.
    Fact!
    Iran and The USA are talking.
    Fact!

  9. just one vote says:

    @5. ha ha ha
    correct. Canova will win.

  10. Ana Gomez-Mallada says:

    Are they REALLY going to re-elect this cheating piece of goods over a qualified, decent man?

  11. Jimmy Ray Hart says:

    Debbie makes my skin crawl