US election: Mitt Romney to host £50,000 a head London fundraisers

The 47 named co-hosts of his London events have been sworn to secrecy by the
notoriously tight-lipped Romney campaign. They referred all enquiries to a
spokesman, who refused to comment.

One senior lawyer slated to attend, who asked not to be named, told The Daily
Telegraph he was supporting Mr Romney because of his “sound business
acumen”.

“He’s a guy that can read a balance sheet, knows about creating jobs and
really understands about deficits which are all very important things, as
people here in the UK also understand,” he said.

Guests are told on their invitations that they must bring copies of their US
passports in order to prove that they are eligible under US election law to
donate to the Romney campaign.

Thomas Grant, an American law academic teaching at Cambridge University who
chairs the British branch of Republicans Abroad, is named as a co-chairman
of the events, along with Dwight Poler, the European chief of Bain Capital, the
private equity company Mr Romney once led.

Also due to attend is Prof Colleen Graffy, a former senior diplomat in George
W Bush’s administration, who prompted controversy in 2004 by describing the
suicides of three inmates at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp as a “good
PR move”. She now teaches law in London.

Several London-based attorneys from Ropes Gray, the law firm of Mr
Romney’s personal money manager Brad Malt, are also expected. The practice
frequently represents Bain Capital.

The events come after Mr Romney’s campaign outraised the President’s for two
successive months. Together with Republican headquarters, he raised $182
million in May and June, compared to Mr Obama and the Democrats’ $130
million haul.

Meanwhile Mr Romney’s conservative allies in so-called Super PACs – a kind of
external campaign group that can collect unlimited funds from corporations –
are also humbling efforts by those supporting Mr Obama.

Eric Varvel, a fellow Mormon who is chief executive of Credit Suisse’s
investment bank and is due to attend Mr Romney’s London dinner, has given
$100,000 (£64,387) to Restore Our Future, the leading Super PAC backing Mr
Romney.

Mr Obama’s allies have accused the Republican of trying to “purchase the
White House”, while attacking him for his vast wealth and financial
arrangements, which includes holdings in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda and
a Swiss bank account that was only recently closed.

One invitee to the London events told The Daily Telegraph: “I don’t think
anyone should have to apologise for having worked hard and been successful.

It’s sad that we’ve reached a point where some parts of American politics can
characterise that as a bad thing. The American dream, the American
understanding of capitalism was built on the idea that hard work gets
rewarded.”

The events are being organised by ScottPrenn, a London company specialising in
throwing high-profile fundraising events for political campaigns and
charities. The firm organised a London event for Senator John McCain in 2008
and another Romney event last year.

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