Hillary Clinton's Fundraiser
Inside Hillary Clinton's private Houston fundraiser: After fiery speech, Dem frontrunner charms top donors
After a spirited speech at Texas Southern University Thursday afternoon, former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton headed for the rarified environs of Carnarvon Drive for a cocktail reception/fundraiser that one supporter said "blew right through the goals. It was a huge success."
Sima and Masoud Ladjevardian hosted the event in their expansive home in the close-in Memorial neighborhood along with attorney Carrin Patman and former ambassador Arthur Schechter.
The presidential candidate's remarks, which lasted more than 20 minutes, covered substantive issues including the student loan crises and the Affordable Care Act.
Close to 200 guests ponied up the minimum contribution of $2,700, while some in the group brought in considerably more dollars.
The presidential candidate's remarks, which lasted more than 20 minutes, covered substantive issues including the student loan crises, the Affordable Care Act and President Obama's free community college program. Before commanding the attention of her high-roller Houston fan base, Clinton was tete-a-tete with the Ladjevardians, Schechter and Lynn Wyatt.
Sima Ladjevardian introduced Clinton while closing remarks were made by Ali Ansari, Sima's nephew and Chelsea Clinton's classmate and friend at Stanford.
Supporters in the mix included Amber Mostyn, Steve Susman, Ann MacNaughton, Torri Corcoran, Ginni Mithoff, Anne Duncan, Sherry and Gerald Merfish, Celia and Larry Veselka, Seth Kretzer and Yvonne and Rufus Cormier, the Cormiers recognized by Clinton as long-time friends dating back to their days together at Yale.
Also in the mix was U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who had joined Clinton at TSU earlier in the day. After fundraising events in San Antonio and Dallas earlier in the week, Clinton arrived in Houston, where she was presented the first Barbara Jordan Medallion Leadership Award before an enthusiastic crowd of about 2,100 in the university's basketball arena. In a fiery speech, Clinton called for sweeping changes in national voter-access laws.
