Karl Rove Gave Secret Speech Outside Romney Donor Retreat - HuffPo [View all]

[WillyT]

Karl Rove Gave Secret Speech Outside Romney Donor Retreat
Peter H. Stone - HuffPo
Posted: 07/09/2012 2:18 pm Updated: 07/09/2012 3:20 pm

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WASHINGTON -- Karl Rove was the featured speaker at a previously unreported luncheon held just outside the Mitt Romney campaign's recent retreat for high-dollar donors, according to three Republican fundraisers who attended the event.

Rove's luncheon speech did not appear on the retreat's official agenda because Romney's campaign didn't host it. Instead, the event was hosted by Solamere Capital, a private equity firm founded by Tagg Romney, the candidate's eldest son, and Spencer Zwick, the Romney campaign's chief fundraiser who is often described as Romney's "sixth son."

Rove's speech was delivered on June 22, the Friday of the retreat weekend, to about 200 wealthy guests, including quite a few money harvesters for the Romney campaign, according to GOP sources who attended but requested anonymity in order to speak freely.

In a half-hour talk followed by questions from the audience, Rove covered congressional races and the presidential contest, with some brief remarks about what the super PAC American Crossroads and an affiliated group are doing with tens of millions he helped raise to boost GOP fortunes in November, according to two GOP fundraisers who heard Rove speak.

Tagg Romney and Zwick founded Solamere in 2008, and it has enjoyed a flurry of financial successes in part because of investments by some longtime Romney backers like ex-eBay chieftain Meg Whitman, as well as Mitt and Ann Romney themselves, who put $10 million into the fledgling venture. Zwick referred questions about the event to a Solamere spokesperson.

Rove also made news on the Saturday morning of the gathering at a posh Utah resort, the Chateaux at Silver Lake, when he sat on a panel with Mary Matalin and Bill Kristol to discuss the media. However, his other appearance in town -- at the Solamere luncheon -- so far has made no news at all.

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More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/karl-rove-speech_n_1656013.html?utm_hp_ref=politics