Politics

Valerie Jarrett Dodges Questions After Closed-Door Meetings With Liberal Donors

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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One of President Obama’s closest advisers doesn’t want to talk about her secret meetings with wealthy liberal donors this week.

White House aide Valerie Jarrett attended this week’s meeting in Chicago of the Democracy Alliance of super rich, liberal donors. But when a reporter for Politico approached Jarrett at the conference and asked her if Democrats were being hypocritical by raising money from wealthy liberals while slamming conservative donors as part of their 2014 election strategy, the aide refused to talk.

Ken Vogel of Politico wrote Wednesday: “Democratic attacks on the Koch brothers for secretive campaign spending have become a virtual plank in the party’s platform, but it turns out big-money liberals can be just as defensive when their own closed-door activities are put in the spotlight.”

Vogel reported that, “Jarrett refused to make eye contact” when he approached her at the conference at the Ritz Carlton and attempted to ask her questions.

The story also noted that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes attended the conference but avoided answering questions as well.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been trying to create a conservative bogeyman for the 2014 election cycle by taking to the Senate floor to lambast the billionaire Koch brothers for their political contributions to conservative groups.

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