House Speaker John Boehner will speak Thursday at a fundraiser for 8th Congressional District Republican candidate Stewart Mills III at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa.
Boehner's scheduled appearance will be one of the highest profile visits for a political fundraiser in the Brainerd area in some time.
A copy of the invitation sent to members of the Gull Lake Yacht Club listed four levels of contributions: gold sponsor, $10,400; silver sponsor, $5,200; host, $1,500; general reception, $250.
Attempts to reach Mills were unsuccessful on Friday. His campaign manager, Mike Lukach, said by email that he could confirm the event would be taking place but referred inquiries to Boehner's office. Cory Fritz, a spokesman for Boehner, responded in an email that the Grand View visit was part of a 14-state bus trip for Republican candidates.
The Dispatch received no reply by 5 p.m. Friday to an email inquiry to Fritz as to whether there would be any public events on Boehner's schedule.
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Mills' opponent, Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn., has also been involved in fundraisers conducted outside of the district that featured high profile politicians. Notably, Minnesota Public Radio reported that President Barack Obama was scheduled as the featured guest at a fundraiser conducted by longtime Democratic contributor Sylvia and Sam Kaplan in Minneapolis in June. Minimum contribution to that event was $10,000 and those giving $32,400 per couple would be part of the "Speaker's Cabinet," according to the MPR story. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was also a guest at that event, which benefited the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
According to the invitation for the Mills fundraiser, gold sponsorship includes four seats at the VIP roundtable, eight places at the VIP photo opportunity and eight spots to the general reception. Silver sponsorship includes two seats at the roundtable, eight places at the photo opportunity and eight spots at the general reception. Hosts receive two places at the photo opportunity and four spots at the reception.
The Boehner event features a 5:30 p.m. VIP roundtable and a 6 p.m. VIP photo opportunity and general reception.
The invitation for the fundraiser was paid for by the Lakes Area Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee composed of Friends of Stewart Mills, Inc., the Eighth Congressional District Party of Minnesota and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
