Under Fire from Right and Left, Clinton Fundraises in Studio City

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed her commitment to the middle class at three Los Angeles-area fundraisers today amid criticism from both the Republican National Committee and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The fundraisers were closed to reporters, like most fundraisers for presidential candidates.

An aide who asked not to be identified said Clinton discussed her commitment to build on the progress made under President Barack Obama, her fights to break down the barriers holding people back, including any American who feels somehow put down and oppressed by racism, sexism and discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The Republican National Committee released a web video of comments made in 2008 by Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, critical of Obama, who she was running against for the Democratic presidential nomination, and slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The video ends with a picture of the Clintons accompanied by the words, “The Clintons: Only with you, when they need you.”

A tweet from campaign account of Sanders, who is running against Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, noted “it’s been 17 days, 16 hours and 32 minutes since @HillaryClinton said she would ‘look into’ releasing her paid speeches to Wall Street.”

There was no immediate response from the Clinton campaign to the video and tweet.

Clinton began her seventh visit to Southern California since declaring her candidacy with a $1,000 per-person fundraiser at the Studio City home of Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali where individuals donating $2,700 had a photo taken with Clinton.

Individuals raising $10,000 or couples contributing $5,400 to Clinton’s primary campaign had photos taken with the former first lady and became members of the Hillary for America Finance Committee, according to an invitation obtained by City News Service.

The maximum individual contribution under federal law for a candidate seeking a party’s presidential nomination is $2,700.

The 68-year-old Clinton then attended a $2,700-per-person fundraiser at the SLS Hotel on Los Angeles-Beverly Hills border.

Clinton’s final event was an evening reception in Hancock Park. Individuals raising $10,000 were co-hosts of the event and had a photo taken with Clinton.

Individuals raising $27,000 had photos taken with Clinton, received a ticket to a host reception and became members of the Hillary for America Finance Committee.

The fundraiser was held at the home of Jon Vein, the chief strategy officer and a co-founder of MarketShare, which describes itself as the world’s leading analytics technology provider for major brand marketers, and his wife, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, a movie producer.

Approximately 320 people attended the Studio City fundraiser while the SLS Hotel event drew approximately 175 people. Mayor Eric Garcetti was among the approximately 300 people at the Hancock Park event.

The Southland fundraisers are part of a two-day California fundraising swing for Clinton, which began Sunday with three events in Northern California, according to the website politicalpartytime.org, which tracks political fundraisers.

Clinton held 17 fundraisers during her previous visits to the Southland since declaring her candidacy on April 12.

Clinton also participated in a roundtable discussion with a group of home care providers, appeared on the ABC late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and helped introduce the “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Hillary” initiative in her past Southland visits during this campaign cycle.

City New Service; Photo: Wikimedia Commons