Bill Clinton’s 80th birthday was the gift that keeps on giving — to the Clinton Foundation, that is, according to Page Six.
The 42nd president of the United States turned 80 on August 19. According to exclusive sources, the actual birthday celebration was an intimate affair, with around 50 guests gathering at a lavish Hamptons mansion owned by Democratic billionaire and philanthropist Alex Soros and Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton’s former right-hand woman.
Dinner at the couple’s estate — where Soros and Abedin tied the knot last year — was held under tight security and strict secrecy. Still, one guest shared a glimpse of the evening, describing it as “a beautiful event at Huma and Alex’s home.”
That party was apparently just the first in a series of celebrations marking Clinton’s milestone birthday.
“They’re holding events around the country purely as a fundraising tool,” a Democratic Party insider told Page Six.
The fundraising festivities will continue this month in New York during the annual Clinton Global Initiative gathering, which will include a reunion for veterans of the Clinton administration.
“If you’re a politician who doesn’t monetize your decades when you turn 50, 60, 70 or 80, you’re doing it wrong,” a political veteran said. “A milestone birthday only comes around once every decade. Nobody cares about your 71st birthday. So every ten years, you only get a couple of chances to take a bite out of the pie.”
Another political strategist put it even more bluntly: “It’s not about the candles on the cake — it’s about the money, baby! Bill Clinton is turning 80, and you’d be an idiot not to squeeze every last drop, pulp and peel out of that lemon.”
“That’s the difference between the old Democrats and the new party of losers: pragmatism. Those old guys have baby-boomer brains.”
Clinton has long embraced this approach. For his 70th birthday, he hosted a lavish evening at New York’s Rainbow Room featuring performances by Wynton Marsalis, Jon Bon Jovi and Barbra Streisand. Major donors were reportedly expected to shell out $250,000 simply for the privilege of serving as event co-chairs.
After leaving the White House at 55, Clinton also threw a massive 60th-birthday gala in Toronto, attracting a star-studded lineup of musicians and actors.
Still, some Democrats admit that turning an administration alumni reunion into a pay-to-attend fundraiser has left former White House staffers feeling, at best, conflicted — and financially uncomfortable.
“It’s very Obama,” a former Clinton staffer said. “It’s basically, ‘Pay to get in.’ But the Clintons aren’t Obama. They’ve always liked surrounding themselves with people who helped them get to the top.”
“I understand that raising money for the foundation [at an 80th birthday] is kind of standard. But putting on a full-blown fundraiser for former staffers and allies? Come on…”
“‘Hey, take it easy — I’m still a public servant! I’m working in the system!’”
“Sure, a lot of people made fortunes after leaving the White House, and for them this is pocket change. But for those who are still working in public service and doing their jobs honestly, it’s a real hit to the wallet.”
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