Bloomberg pushing Wall Street execs, mega donors to back DNC fundraising
Former New York mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg is set to meet with several executive Wall Street influencers and mega donors on his home turf Thursday, ABC News has learned.
He will meet with long-time hedge fund managers, bundlers and those in the private equity sphere.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg's team has been phoning donors and those on the "high-up" business world call list, asking them to support the DNC directly, as well as state and down-ballot candidates.
ABC News has confirmed the meeting and the calls both with the Bloomberg campaign and outside sources aware of the calls, as well as those who were called themselves.
The meeting will be for Bloomberg to rally well-moneyed leaders to back Democratic causes on both a national and state level.
"He'll encourage giving to state parties and the DNC to support efforts across the country to make sure Donald Trump does not get a second term," Bloomberg spokesman Marc LaVorgna said in a statement to ABC News.
"Many donors have been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the primary to play out, and Mike is making it clear we simply cannot wait," LaVorgna added. "He is stepping up -- running anti-Trump ads, voter registration drives in battleground states and support for state parties. And it's time for others with means to step forward, right now, to help build the state-by-state campaign necessary to defeat Donald Trump and support Democrats, up and down the ballot."
It's no secret that the DNC is in dire straights, more than $7 million underwater, and needs help fundraising.
Just Wednesday, Bloomberg's team announced he would donate $10 million to House Democrats targeted by the GOP to defend vulnerable candidates.
Not every financial heavyweight backing Bloomberg is all in for all Democrats -- even his most emphatic supporters.
One source "unequivocally 100% all in" for Bloomberg told ABC News they received a call from the Bloomberg campaign asking for support of not just their candidate but also state Democrats. That person was less interested in down-ballot candidates.
"I would love to see Mike president," they told ABC News, "but I don't want to support people I know nothing about."
