Tickets are now free for a Florida fundraiser featuring Stephen Bannon


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A fundraiser in Florida featuring President Trump's former strategist Stephen Bannon is now a free event for anyone who wants to attend.
The Hillsborough County Republican Party invited Bannon to speak at its Trump Anniversary Dinner this Friday. It's a fundraiser held in honor of Trump's election two years ago, and the Tampa Bay Times says that initially, it was a pricey affair — $20,000 secured 10 seats at a table with Bannon, while VIP tickets were going for $1,000 each and general admission was $125. Those prices were then slashed last week to $5,000 for the Bannon table, $300 for a VIP ticket, and $50 general admission. Now, all tickets are a steal at $0.00.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that the party's vice chairman, Jeff Lukens, sent an email to members saying admission on Friday will be "COMPLIMENTARY TO ALL. We have a donor who will cover our expenses." Lukens did not respond to an email from the paper asking who the donor is and how much they donated. Bannon appears to be having trouble drawing an audience, even in red areas — only 38 people attended the screening of his new documentary Monday night on New York's Staten Island.
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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