Hillary Clinton attended a private dinner at the home of Haim and Cheryl Saban on Thursday night at an event that sources described as a thank you to 2016 campaign donors and an introduction to her plans to launch a political group, Onward Together.
Sources said that the gathering was for about 40 to 50 people, including a number who were major donors during her 2016 presidential campaign. Haim Saban was one of Clinton’s most prolific donors in her 2008 and 2016 presidential runs, giving directly to her campaign and to a SuperPAC supporting her candidacy, Priorities USA Action.
Hillary and Bill Clinton are both in Los Angeles for the graduation of her nephew, Zach Rodham, from USC, sources said.
Among those at the dinner were Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Warren Beatty, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Eva Longoria, Barry Diller, Annette Bening and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). Bill Clinton also was at the event, and spoke along with Clinton. He talked of California’s role in the “resistance” to Trump policies.
This was Hillary Clinton’s first visit with supporters in Los Angeles since the 2016 election. She, too, talked of working to oppose Trump policies, although a source said that she did not mention Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey. They also led a toast to the United States.
Politico reported last week that Clinton was building a political group to help finance organizations working “on the resistance to President Donald Trump’s agenda.” The name of the group, Onward Together, was a nod to her campaign slogan Stronger Together.
The Sabans gave more than $12 million to Priorities USA Action to support Clinton’s campaign, according to records from the Federal Election Commission.
The Clintons wrote a congratulatory letter to Haim Saban in March, when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
