Bill Clinton Attends Lt. Gov. Brown's Event Instead Of Hillary, Helps Raise $1M
POTOMAC, Md. (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton took his wife's place at a fundraiser for Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on Tuesday, helping to raise more than $1 million for Brown's campaign for governor.
Hillary Rodham Clinton had been scheduled to attend the fundraiser in a posh Washington suburb at the home of wine superstore owner David Trone. But the former secretary of state begged off following the birth of the couple's first grandchild Friday night. The former president was in North Carolina earlier Tuesday for a fundraising luncheon for U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a first-term Democrat running for re-election, and added the Maryland stop.
"I am very grateful to President Clinton for changing his schedule to travel to Maryland and attend our event this evening. I appreciate and respect Secretary Clinton's decision to stay and spend time with her daughter and new granddaughter, Charlotte. I appreciate both of the Clintons' commitment to the Brown-Ulman campaign," Brown said, noting his running mate, Ken Ulman.
Between 300 and 400 people were scheduled to attend with tickets as high as $4,000. The event was closed to the media.
The former president also attended a fundraiser for Brown in May that raised more than $1 million for his campaign. Brown is running against Republican Larry Hogan.
Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is leaving office when his second term ends in January, also attended.
O'Malley and Brown have long been supporters of the Clintons. They were early to endorse Hillary Clinton's campaign for president in 2007. The former president appeared in a commercial supporting O'Malley when he first ran for governor. In June, the former president praised O'Malley as being a "terrific governor" at the Clinton Global Initiative America in Denver, where a project was announced to invest in infrastructure projects in the mid-Atlantic.
Both O'Malley and Hillary Clinton are considering running for president in 2016.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
