Pat Robertson Plans ‘Massive’ Fund-Raiser in Anaheim

Television evangelist Pat Robertson, an undeclared presidential candidate, has scheduled what his promoters are billing as a massive fund-raiser at the Anaheim Convention Center Saturday night.

The event has been promoted as a “$1,000-a-plate” chicken dinner. Unlike most political fund-raisers, however, reservations have been made via a special 800 telephone number and those attending won’t be asked for money until after dessert.

It’s unclear how much money actually will be raised from the 4,000 guests that promoters claim will attend the event. Tickets to dinner were marked “free by invitation” although clerks who accepted telephone reservations Thursday pointed out, “This is a political event and the maximum political contribution is $1,000.”

When asked if a guest could contribute less, however, a clerk said, “Yes.” Several of Robertson’s prospective guests said Thursday they don’t plan to contribute a cent.

Martin Weber, a religious broadcaster from Newbury Park, said he was given two tickets by an associate who was on Robertson’s mailing list. Weber said he is interested in hearing the conservative preacher, but “I wouldn’t put a dime in the plate. I don’t agree with his ideas of church and state.”

Likewise a state Republican Party worker said she and a friend will attend but do not plan to pay. Because of the wording on tickets to Robertson’s dinner in Anaheim, her friend “thinks it’s completely free,” the official said.

However, if organizers are able to extract $1,000 from each of the 4,000 guests--as promoters predict--the dinner could become one of the most lucrative affairs in the history of California politics, raising as much as $4 million.

The notion of such a large sum astounded state Democratic and Republican leaders. California Democratic Party spokeswoman Diana Walsh called such an amount “unbelievable.” And state Republican Party Executive Director Jack Harriman said, “I never heard of such a thing.”

The only event of a similar scope in California that state political leaders could remember was a June, 1985, dinner for Gov. George Deukmejian’s reelection campaign that raised $2 million.

Robertson’s Saturday night affair in Anaheim is being organized by Americans for Robertson, his recently formed exploratory committee for the presidential race. The dinner follows a similar fund-raiser tonight, a $1,000-per-person barbecue at the Dallas ranch of Nelson Bunker Hunt that Robertson aides say might draw 5,000 people and raise another $2 million to $5 million for the campaign.

The invitation for the Anaheim event described it as an evening “with a few close friends” and suggested that Robertson, who is campaigning but has not yet formally declared himself a presidential candidate, would make an important announcement “about seeking the nomination.”

“These few hours will be history-making. What happens on Aug. 2 is not just a decision for Pat Robertson. It is a decision for all Americans,” the invitation said.

That wording led to speculation that Robertson, who is seeking delegates in Tuesday’s Michigan presidential primary, would formally announce for the presidency in Anaheim.

But on Thursday, Mark Nuttle, an attorney who works on Robertson’s just-formed exploratory committee, said no.

“He’s not going to make a formal announcement,” Nuttle said. “Any announcement with any specifics will not come until September.”

Nuttle did say that response to the fund-raiser had far exceeded organizers’ expectations. Using a list of Californians involved in politics, business or who were regular viewers of Robertson’s nationally televised show, “The 700 Club,” a Scottsdale, Ariz., public relations firm sent out several thousand invitations. Organizers were expecting about 500 people, Nuttle said, but now the evening is “sold out” at 4,000.

Contributions After Dessert

Michael Clifford, president of Victory Communications in Scottsdale, said guests will meet Robertson in a before-dinner, no-alcohol reception and then sit down to a dinner of chicken, salad, rice and “apple pie with American flags stuck in it.” After dinner, Clifford said, there will be music and a speech by Robertson “sharing from his heart.”

At some point during Robertson’s speech, Clifford said, “We’re going to ask them for $1,000 a plate.”

Asked why organizers weren’t using a more orthodox method of having guests pay beforehand, Clifford said that it was “very hard” for many people to write a check for $1,000 “rather than coming, meeting the man and having the freedom to write the check.”

One Republican leader expressed interest in Robertson’s fund-raising method.

“Pat’s an evangelical guy with an inspiring speaking technique. Therefore, maybe you get your prospects here (to the convention center) and they reach for all the checks they can find. And under the spell of oratory, the take is greater than you could get by the regular way,” he said.