Hillary Clinton is fundraising on Thursday with the head of a public relations firm that hired, then ultimately fired, the husband of a top Clinton aide.
Michael Kempner, president and CEO of public relations firm MWW, is hosting a fundraiser for Clinton at his New Jersey home with an entry fee starting at $2,700 a head. Kempner has raised millions of dollars for Democrats in the past and was a top bundler for President Obama in 2011 and 2012, having pulled together more than $3 million for his campaign. The CEO said last year he wanted to gather the most powerful Democratic donors in New Jersey and attempt to raise $5 to 10 million for Clinton right of the gates.
Kempner recently employed former disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is married to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, at his public relations firm before firing him shortly after for causing a blitz of unflattering media attention from his first day on the job.
Weiner lasted just two months at MWW before Kempner pulled the plug, calling him a "distraction" to his firm. During the two-month phase, Kempner maintained concerns over Weiner’s image, even barring him from a prior Clinton fundraiser held at his residence.
Weiner also cost the group top talent, as the MWW’s senior vice president, Arthur Swartz, resigned after hitting a breaking point over his presence.