One of the gay hoteliers who held a dinner for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in April made a contribution to the senator’s presidential campaign, even though he insisted that the event was not a fundraiser.
Ian Reisner made a $2,700 donation, the maximum amount allowed, around the time of the controversial dinner, the New York Times reported on Friday morning. Following the dinner and backlash from the gay community, Reisner asked for a refund from the Cruz campaign.
“In the interest of transparency, I gave Senator Cruz a $2,700 check to show my support for his work on behalf of Israel,” Reisner said in a statement to the Times. “When I realized his donation could be misconstrued as supporting his anti-gay marriage agenda, I asked for the money back. Senator Cruz’s office gave the money back, and I have no intention of giving any money to any politicians who aren’t in support of L.G.B.T. issues.”
Reisner and and his business partner Mati Weiderpass also both apologized to the gay community for hosting Cruz, a staunch opponent of gay marriage.
Weiderpass told the Times that he did not make a contribution to Cruz’s campaign.
Following the dinner, Reisner told New York Magazine that the dinner was not a fundraiser.
“There were no checks given. It was nothing like that,” he said.
Even though the event was not a fundraiser, Cruz still likely met future donors to his presidential campaign.
Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist, told the Times that it’s common for campaigns to ask for donations from attendees following events like the one held by Reisner and Weiderpass.
“Anyone with a passing knowledge of politics knows this,” Reinish told the Times. “So the idea that fundraising was not a part of this was not believable from the get-go.”
