Hollywoods entertainment elite once again opened their wallets for the Democratic Party this week, gathering at a high-dollar Los Angeles fundraiser headlined by ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and attended by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
According to Breitbart, the event reportedly pulled in more than $2 million for Democrats seeking to retake the U.S. House of Representatives in November, underscoring the partys continued reliance on coastal donors and celebrity clout. Jimmy Kimmel emceed the reception and dinner, which was chaired by James Costos and Michael Smith, along with Martha Karsh, and drew a select group of candidates from districts Democrats hope to flip from red to blue, alongside figures such as Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson and former Rep. Gabby Giffords.
The fundraiser, benefiting the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, relied on roughly 50 deep-pocketed donors, with ticket prices ranging from $23,000 to an eye-watering $310,100, a reminder that the party that rails against big money in politics is more than willing to cash in when it suits its interests. Co-hosts included Morgan and Derrall Cox, John Emerson and Kimberley Marteau Emerson, Carol Hamilton and David Kohn, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Shonda Rhimes, Corky Hale Stoller and Mike Stoller, Hope Warshaw and the Human Rights Campaign PAC, cementing the event as a whos who of liberal Hollywood and corporate money.
Costos, a former U.S. ambassador and HBO executive, painted the evening as a morale boost for Democrats eager to reclaim power. What really stood out was the energy in the room, he told Deadline. Democrats are back, engaged and the momentum is on our side.
He framed the effort as a crusade against President Donald Trumps policies, echoing the lefts familiar talking points. Everyone understands they have to buckle down and do the good work to help Americans who are struggling right now because of the brutal policies coming out of the Trump administration, and taking back the House is how we get that done, he added.
Kimmels starring role at the fundraiser comes on the heels of his own controversy, after Disney suspended him in September when he appeared to suggest that the assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was tied to MAGA despite evidence of left-wing ideological influence. Nexstar and Sinclair, two major broadcast affiliates, refused to air his show in their markets, with Nexstar calling Kimmels remarks offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and saying it hoped to move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.
Kimmel later returned to the air after a brief suspension, insisting that his remarks had been misinterpreted. It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man, he said, adding in his monologue, I dont think theres anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram the day he was killed, sending love to his family, and asking for compassion, and I meant it. I still do.
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