President Obama’s campaign committee moved a fund-raiser featuring Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago from the Pfizer world headquarters to another location in New York City yesterday after the Globe inquired about the propriety of a major pharmaceutical company hosting an event that could benefit the administration regulating it. “This is a general fund-raising event for the campaign that has nothing to do with a specific company and the attendees will not be from any one company or sector,’’ Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement.
A Pfizer spokesman did not address the change in locale but defended the company’s initial decision to host the fund-raiser Thursday.
“Pfizer is proud to participate in the political process and encourages its colleagues to do so as well,’’ said the spokesman, Raul Damas. “All activities are undertaken in strict compliance with campaign finance law.’’
Political fund-raisers are often held in private homes or commercial hotel and convention space to accommodate crowds and avoid conflict-of-interest charges. While they are sometimes held in corporate settings, management will often insist that they be linked to individual employees rather than the broader firm itself.
Emanuel, who formerly served as White House chief of staff, is slated to attend a series of fund-raising events for Obama in New York. In one of them, he will be the keynote speaker for the launch of a “Tri-State Speaker Series’’ aimed at raising money in the cash-rich region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Attendees are being asked to donate $1,000 for lunch with Emanuel or $5,000 to attend each of what will be monthly events during the next year, according to an invitation obtained by the Globe.
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