WOMEN FOR WEINER: MAGGIE HABERMAN (NOT A JOKE)
Meet the Women for Weiner.
The former congressman, who apologized for the lewd picture scandal that ended his House career before launching a bid last month for New York City mayor, is holding a fundraiser hosted by “Women for Anthony” next week at the Manhattan home of an education activist and philanthropist.
The host committee is led by his wife, Huma Abedin, and includes her sister, Heba; Rory Tahari, wife of designer Elie Tahari; and Cheryl Saban, the wife of California-based mega-donor Haim Saban, who funded a short film lauding Hillary Clinton’s tenure at the State Department shortly before she left Foggy Bottom. POLITICO viewed a copy of the invitation, which asks people to come to cocktails with “our next mayor.”
The host list, featuring a number of high-powered women who were Clinton backers, makes clear what a number of media outlets have reported — that Abedin is a central figure in her husband’s campaign. Buzzfeed recently noted Abedin, using her network of contacts, has been working the phones to help raise money for him.
Weiner said over the weekend that he expected Abedin, who currently runs Hillary Clinton’s transition office, to join him on the campaign trail soon.
He already has $4 million in his war chest from his previous campaigns and has qualified for public matching funds.
Also on the list is philanthropist Elaine Schuster, who lives in Boston and was a Clinton supporter, and Kirkland & Ellis lawyer Binta Brown, who was also a Clinton backer. Abedin has worked for the Clintons for more than a decade.
Weiner is running in the Democratic mayoral primary as a champion of the middle class, a message the existing field of candidates vying to replace outgoing Mayor Mike Bloomberg had not claimed.
The campaign is Weiner’s first foray into politics since he resigned his seat in Aug. 2011. How he will fare with women voters is a question pollsters have raised.
The only woman in the field is City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is also looking to become the city’s first openly gay mayor.
Comments are closed.
