According to invitations obtained by The Times, Trump is scheduled to return to California next week for a pair of fundraisers that will be staffed primarily by relatives of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife.
On Sept. 13, donors are being asked to raise up to $500,000 per couple. Tom Siebel, a billionaire software developer and entrepreneur who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Trump’s 2024 campaign, is a once-removed second cousin of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the Democratic governor’s wife.
Representatives for Newsom did not respond to requests for comment.
Siebel Newsom’s family has a well-documented history of Republican activism, including her father, Ken Siebel. But after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose presidential candidate Ken Siebel supported financially, during an argument with the governor, the first partner’s father misrepresented Sibel and his wife’s motivation for moving to Florida. described DeSantis as a “lying ball,” As reported by the “Daily Mail” newspaper.
Trump will also headline a fundraiser in Los Angeles on Sept. 12, with preferred tickets priced at $250,000 per person. The venue and hosts have not been disclosed.
The meetings come at a crucial moment in the campaign, in the gap between Trump’s first debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday and Sept. 18, when Trump is set to be sentenced for his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal that could hurt his 2016 candidacy.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, will hold a fundraiser in Los Angeles on Sunday, as will his running mate Doug Emhoff on Thursday. Several Italian-Americans, including Hollywood stars, will hold a virtual funeral for Harris on Sunday. Kamala’s fans include actors Steve Buscemi, Alyssa Milano, Lorraine Bracco, Marisa Tomei and John Turturro, as well as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The amount of attention Californians are receiving in the final weeks of the presidential campaign is due to their immense role as fuel for campaigns in both parties. Despite the state’s cobalt blue leaning, it is home to a large number of Republican and Democratic donors and is typically one of the largest sources of donations for candidates in both parties.
As of Aug. 8, Harris has raised $65.5 million for her campaign in California, more than any other state, according to the Federal Election Commission’s campaign finance disclosures of donors who contributed more than $200 to the campaign committee.
Trump raised $24.8 million from California donors, the second-most of any state. (These figures reflect donations to candidate committees, not outside groups or independent expenditure committees.)
