CARLSBAD, Calif.—A secretive three-day conference where big money liberal donors are plotting the next steps of the "resistance" will be headlined by Friday speeches by billionaire George Soros and Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
The Democracy Alliance, a donor club of deep-pocketed liberal donors
that each pledge to direct hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to
approved left-wing groups, descended on California's posh La Costa Resort on
Wednesday morning for its fall donor summit. The group continued its tradition
of secrecy, promising all members and guests of the summit their participation
would "remain confidential."
The first page of the conference agenda can be
viewed in its entirety below, lays out "participation guidelines,"
explaining that the Democracy Alliance is a "safe place" for donors
and activists to meet. Guests are instructed not to share members' names with
the press and not to post to any social media sites, to contact Democracy
Alliance if "the media or a blogger" contacts them, and to
"refrain from leaving sensitive materials out where others may find
them."
This
latter directive was ignored.
The agenda for the meeting, titled "Beyond #Resistance: Reclaiming
our Progressive Future," lays out three full days of events culminating in
a Friday night dinner headlined by Pelosi.
A few
hours earlier guests can attend "A Talk with George Soros," who will
be introduced with a "special videotaped message" by
Democratic senator Kamala Harris (Calif.).
All of the events are scheduled to take place at
the La Costa Resort, which features 17 tennis courts of both
clay and hard surfaces including one with 1,000 seats for spectators, 36 holes of golf on
the Legends Course and the Champions Course, an array of pools including three
hot tubs that overlooksaid golf courses,
a spa building, and the Deepak Chopra Center,
where guests can do yoga or receive mind-body medical consultations.
Pelosi and Harris are not the only two politicians
to have a presence at the swanky conference—Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf
(D.) held a Thursday event on his reelection efforts, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D.,
Minn.) will speak on Friday about "Russian interference in the 2016
election," and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D., Minn.), who chairs the DCCC,
will attend a "festive brunch" on Saturday morning. Also making a
"special appearance" on Friday will be Virginia's governor-elect
Ralph Northam.
The agenda also lists "special guests" at
the conference, some more famous than others. Attendees showcased in the agenda
range from failed California politician Sandra Fluke to liberal CNN contributor Van Jones to Center for American Progress
CEO Neera Tanden.
Jones was headlining a Thursday dinner on "going outside the
bubble" and learning from Trump voters.
Not all events and prominent guests are listed in the conference agenda.
Not listed, for example, was a Thursday night happy hour hosted by
Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, who was spotted in attendance.
Also not listed as a special guest at the conference was David Brock,
who checked in early Wednesday afternoon and has made himself highly
visible at La Costa—slowly strolling around the sprawling property and staying
up at the hotel bar till past midnight.
Brock is not a "partner" of Democracy
Alliance—in fact, he has worked to create his
own liberal donor network—but groups he controls, such as Media Matters for
America, are among the many groups Democracy Alliance directs funding to.
Not listed in the agenda or spotted at the resort
has been billionaire Tom Steyer, one of Democracy Alliance's most prominent
members in the past. Pelosi publicly reprimanded Steyer
earlier this month for running a $10 million ad calling for President Trump's
impeachment.
Also not listed in the Democracy Alliance program
was a meeting held by Patriotic Millionaires, who gave a Thursday morning briefing on
the "tax fight" and "what is at stake." The briefing was
delivered by Larry Mishel of Americans for Tax Fairness, Thea Lee of Economic
Policy Institute, and Jacob Leibenluft, a member of the Obama administration's
National Economic Council who is now with the Centeron Budget and Policy
Priorities.
Not all meetings at the conference are open to all guests. Some meetings
are "by invitation only," "for prospective partners only,"
or for "partners only."
Right before Pelosi's speech, for example, will be a "Partners
only" forum dedicated to "committing resources." The Democracy
Alliance has never made its commitment decisions available to the public.
Democracy Alliance president Gara LaMarche wrote in a letter to
attendees included in the agenda that President Trump's November
victory was "the most cataclysmic election of modern history."
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