Hillary Clinton to headline Beverly Hills event for Terry McAuliffe

Tapping California’s political donors, Hillary Rodham Clinton will later this month headline a Beverly Hills fundraiser for Virginia gubernatorial candidate and longtime family friend Terry McAuliffe.

The Oct. 30 luncheon, hosted by media mogul Haim Saban and his wife Cheryl, will cost $15,000 per person and $25,000 per couple, according to an invitation.

Clinton has largely skirted politics since stepping down as secretary of State in February, but of late has begun advocating for McAuliffe, who is a longtime confidant and fundraiser for Clinton and her husband, former President Clinton.

The former first lady is scheduled to formally endorse and publicly campaign for McAuliffe at a “Women for Terry” event in Falls Church, Va., on Saturday. She has already headlined one fundraiser for him, and will take part in another Tuesday night in New York City.

On Monday, the former president sent out a fundraising appeal asking for donations to help McAuliffe as well as Democratic candidates across the nation.

“Despite what you might hear from the media, the next election isn’t in 2016 or 2014. In Virginia, it’s just 22 days away, and there’s a lot on the line,” Bill Clinton wrote. “My close friend Terry McAuliffe is running for governor (he’ll be a great one!) against a guy who’s really out there.”

McAuliffe, who lost a 2009 bid to be the Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia, is now running for the post against Republican state Atty. Gen. Ken Cuccinelli.

Earlier this month, Hillary Clinton gave her strongest indication to date that she is considering another White House bid.

“I am not going to begin to think seriously about it until sometime next year,” Clinton said during a speech to the Long Island Assn. in New York, according to Newsday. “I will think about it because it’s something on a lot of people’s minds. And it’s on my mind as well.”

The statement strayed from Clinton’s typical public remarks, which have assiduously avoided mentioning her political intentions. The Long Island speech was closed to reporters, but was overheard by representatives from Newsday, which has historically purchased a table at the event, according to Politico.

A Clinton appearance Tuesday in Atlanta, before the gathering of convenience store operators, also is closed to reporters. A missive sent out Monday by organizers noted that, in addition, “social media, photography, recording, writing about and/or videotaping any part of the session is prohibited,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Beverly Hills fundraiser for McAuliffe comes days before a flurry of Clinton-related events in California. Ready for Hillary, a super PAC urging Clinton to run, is set to hold a small-dollar fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 6.

Clinton is also scheduled to speak at a Nov. 8 gala for the International Medical Corps that is expected to be attended by several hundred people who are donating as much as $100,000 each to the nonprofit.

Hollywood titans and major Democratic fundraisers Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg and their wives are among the hosts of the benefit. Katzenberg is expected to be a key donor for a different independent effort that hopes to boost Clinton’s bid for the White House if she decides to run. That entity, Priorities USA, was crucial to President Obama’s campaign. Saban, host of the McAuliffe event, was also a top donor to Priorities USA in 2012.

The morning after the gala, Clinton is to be honored at USC by the Mexican American Leadership Initiative, which aims to foster relations between the two nations.

Later that day, Clinton is to head to San Francisco to keynote the Realtors Conference and Expo and then join daughter Chelsea at an event benefiting the Clinton Foundation.

seema.mehta@latimes.com

Twitter: @latseema