Anna Wintour’s Boyfriend Owes US Government $1.2 Million in Taxes

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour may have been one of President Barack Obama’s top fundraisers and a possible British ambassador pick, however a recent discovery of her boyfriend’s tax debt may hamper her nomination chances, reports The Daily Telegraph.

J. Shelby Bryan, a former Clinton advisor and Obama fundraiser, has owed a reported $1.2 million in taxes to the United States government since 2006.

Bryan, a telecommunications executive in Texas, once had an estimated net worth of $30 million, but was hit by the financial crisis. The Telegraph reports that Bryan originally owed more than $1.6 million in taxes, but paid off $400,000.

Bryan states that he is “on schedule” with the IRS and is on a payment plan.

Wintour was a key player in Obama’s fundraising strategy, co-hosting dinners with celebrity donors at $35,000 a plate in New York, London and Paris.

If Wintour were to be nominated for British ambassadorship, Bryan’s tax woes  may pose a challenge in her confirmation in the U.S. Senate.

 

 

Obama Has 16-1 Hollywood Fundraising Advantage

As of Oct. 28, President Obama has managed to out-raise Mitt Romney in Hollywood donations at a rate of 16-1, reports TheWrap.com.

A total of 208 “celebrity” donors have given $712,874 to the Obama campaign compared to 15 donors who have given $46,500 to the Romney campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, an organization that tracks donations.

The list of actors, directors and producers that donated least $5,000 include: Cameron Crowe, Will Ferrell, Ron Howard, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, George Clooney, J.J. Abrams, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Brian Grazer, Adrian Grenier, Tom Hanks, Mariska Hargitay, Will Smith, Aaron Sorkin, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Quentin Tarantino, Marlo Thomas, Sam Waterston, Ben Stiller, Oprah Winfrey, Kirk Douglas, Hilary Duff, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jack Black, Anne Hathaway, Bette Midler, Tobey Maguire and Rita Wilson.

Other celebrities who donated less than $5,000 include Susan Sarandon, Zach Braff, David Arquette, Martin Scorsese, Don Cheadle and Chevy Chase.

The website also reports that many in the music industry have given $5,000, including Don Henley, Gwen Stefani and Randy Newman – as well as many more who have contributed lesser amounts.

The list also includes authors, athletes and individuals in the fashion industry. This list consists of author Steven King, NBA players Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony and former NBA player Magic Johnson, designer Michael Kors and model Christie Brinkley.

Obama also has a long list of ‘bundlers’ who collect funds from friends, family and associates and then contribute the funds in one large gift.

Some of those that top the list from the industry include Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, Harvey Weinstein, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Ron and Kelly Meyer as well as actors Wendell Pierce, Tyler Perry and Eva Longoria.

Many of these individuals collected $500,000 according to the Center for Responsible Politics.

The Romney campaign’s list isn’t as prominent, but still has a few big Hollywood names including  Scott Baio, Jerry Bruckheimer, Neil Simon, Orson Bean, John O’Hurley, Jack Hanna as well as Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

 

 

Celebrities Attend Obama Fundraiser in Paris

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour continues to fundraise for President Obama around the world. This time in Paris.

Wintour held a fundraiser for the Obama Victory Fund Oct. 1, with celebrity guests including Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, Stella McCartney, Mick Jagger and Lee Radziwill, according to the Daily Mail.

The exclusive fundraiser, held in a ritzy area of Paris was apparently sold out far in advance. The evening raised an estimated $350,000 for Obama’s reelection campaign.

In late September, Wintour co-hosted a similar fundraiser in London with a slew of celebrities. The fashion icon has been a key bundler for the Obama campaign during the 2012 election cycle.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Cameron Diaz Attend Obama Fundraiser in London

Actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz arrive at the Obama Victory Fund 2012 event in London on Sept. 19, 2012. Photo credit: Matt Herbert (@sherbert1707)

Some of the world’s most famous fashion icons gathered in London Wednesday night for a private Obama fundraiser.

The Obama Victory Fund 2012 event was held at the exclusive Mark’s club in Mayfair. The bash was hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, designer Tom Ford and actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Obama’s 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe was also in attendance.

Paltrow arrived around 7:30 p.m. with actress Cameron Diaz. Other guests included Downton Abbey’s Elizabeth McGovern, Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter and new chair of the British Fashion Council and Elizabeth Saltzman, international social editor of Vanity Fair, according to The Guardian.

The exclusive gathering included 25 guests who paid $15,000 each to attend. The hosts shelled out $40,000 for the president’s victory fund.

Gwyneth Paltrow Co-Hosting Obama Fundraiser in London

Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow will be joining Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, fashion designer Tom Ford and Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe in hosting a fundraiser for President Obama on Sept. 19 in London, reports the London Evening Standard.

The event will be held at Mark’s Club, a private dining club in Mayfair. Tickets for the dinner are going for $15,000 a plate.

This isn’t Wintour’s first time co-hosting a fundraising dinner for the president. Just this year, the Obama-bundler co-hosted an event with actress Sarah Jessica Parker and another at the home of Harvey Weinstein.

Paltrow has also been a vocal supporter for Obama and attended a fundraiser for him in New York City with husband Chris Martin of Coldplay in Aug. 2011. In Oct. 2011, she and Martin hosted their own fundraiser for the president in their London home.

The Obama campaign recently held a fundraiser in Geneva, Switzerland – one of many overseas fundraising events. Actor George Clooney spoke at the event.

Weinstein and Wintour Team Up For Obama Fundraiser

Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour are throwing a fundraiser for President Obama in Greenwich, Conn., on Aug. 6, according to the NY Post.

The two democratic supporters are set to co-host the event. Other co-chairs have yet to be announced. Tickets are expected to be  $35,800 per head.

Weinstein and Wintour hosted an Obama dinner together last year, which included Gwyneth Paltrow, Tory Burch, Alicia Keys and Quentin Tarantino.

Wintour co-hosted an event with Sarah Jessica Parker last month that brought in a variety of supporters from Hollywood and the fashion industry.

 

Obama Dines with Parker, Streep, Wintour and Franklin

The Obamas appeared together last Thursday evening at a fundraiser held at the home of actors Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in New York City. The exclusive dinner raised nearly  $2 million, with 50 people paying $40,000 each. The dinner was co-hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour according to the AP.

Among the famous attendees, actress Meryl Streep, Bravo’s Andy Cohen, fashion designer Michael Kors and singer Aretha Franklin dined with the President and First Lady. Although the event was held at his home, Broderick was absent due to his performance in a play.

After the glitzy dinner, the Obamas then headed to a fundraiser in Manhattan, where singer Mariah Carey performed and singer Alicia Keys spoke. The 250-person dinner brought in at least $2.5 million for the Obama campaign.

This is one of the many recent celebrity fundraisers the Obama campaign has held that has raised an estimated $50 million.

This particular event has been scrutinized by conservatives as “elitist” and “out-of-touch.” Pundits such as Glenn Beck criticized the Obama campaign for tapping Wintour to co-host, due to her harsh reputation.

However, like the George Clooney fundraiser, the Obama campaign held a raffle for donors to partake in with a minimum donation of $3. Two lucky winners were chosen to attend.

President Obama’s Hollywood Love Affair

President Barack Obama visited Los Angeles Wednesday night and Thursday morning for fundraisers with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

On Wednesday night, Obama attended a fundraiser at Glee creator, Ryan Murphy and his fiancé David Miller’s Beverly Hills home.

The event was attended by 70 people, who allegedly paid $40,000 per ticket to see the president speak for 12 minutes, according to DEADLINE Hollywood. After his speech, which had an emphasis on LGBT rights, Obama took questions from the audience, which included: HBO’s president of programming Michael Lombardo, Julia Roberts, CAA’s Kevin Huvane and Bryan Lourd, Glee star Jane Lynch and Reese Witherspoon. Also in the crowd were CBS executive Les Moonves and wife Julie Chen, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer, Disney Worldwide Marketing president Ricky Strauss, Participant Media’s Jonathon Bass, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, singer Cher and transgender son Chaz Bono, Will & Grace creator Max Mutchnick, Hulu’s Jamie Kershaw, NCIS’ Pauley Perrette and Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Ellen DeGeneres and Glee’s Darren Criss performed before Obama’s  speech. Criss filled in for singer P!nk, who had to back out last minute due to health issues. Many of the supporters at the event were large LGBT rights supporters. Murphy announced he was hosting a fundraiser shortly after Obama came out in support for same-sex marriage. After the performances, Obama was introduced by a military doctor who came out after the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” in which Obama signed in 2010.

Early Thursday morning, the Obama campaign held an exclusive breakfast at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with some of Hollywood’s hottest young stars including: The Avengers Jeremy Renner, Glee actress Dianna Agron, Star Trek‘s  Zachary Quinto, Southland’s Ben McKenzie, Jessica Alba, Bryan Greenberg, Adam Rodriguez, Zach Braff, Brandon Routh, Ian Somerhalder, Jared Leto, Kal Penn and Sophia Bush.

Sources said the event was intended to help build the youth support for team Obama and enlist some of Hollywood’s youngest, hottest stars to help out with that effort.

Above: Jeremy Renner with Obama

Above: Zach Braff with Obama

Above: Sophia Bush with Obama

In the last month, the Obama campaign has been teaming up with celebrities for fundraisers and public raffles. George Clooney‘s fundraiser in early may brought in over $15 million for the president. Obama attended a fundraiser with many broadway stars earlier this week that was hosted by former president Bill Clinton. Rocker Jon Bon Jovi played at one event and attended another.

An upcoming fundraiser hosted by actress Sarah Jessica Parker and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour on June 14 is also expected to bring in a huge haul for the president.

The Romney campaign has yet to receive much Hollywood support and is set to have only one event with “celebrity” Donald Trump in the works.

Glenn Beck Tears Into the Obama Campaign for Anna Wintour

Conservative pundit Glenn Beck attacked the Obama campaign for using Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in their ad about the upcoming fundraiser she’s co-hosting with actress Sarah Jessica Parker, reports the Huffington Post.

Beck mocked Wintour’s pronunciation of Michelle Obama and railed against the Obama campaign for using Wintour, who was said to be “quite harsh” in the fashion industry and was allegedly the subject of the film The Devil Wears Prada.

“She was the devil part,” Beck said in reference to the movie title. “She was the person who was actually in the movie treating her co-workers… like garbage, waiting on her every whim. She is what [Obama] says capitalists are like all the time. She is everything she says the Republicans are and she’s an Obama supporter.”

 

Sarah Jessica Parker Featured In Obama’s First National Ad

In the Obama campaign’s first national ad, Sarah Jessica Parker invites supporters to visit the campaign site and donate for a chance to win a spot at a fundraising dinner at her house for the president.

The first national ad was broadcast on MTV tonight during the MTV Movie Awards.

The dinner features the President and First Lady, and is co-hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.