Michelle Obama to help open Met's Anna Wintour Costume Center

Michelle Obama to help open Met's Anna Wintour Costume Center

By Justin Sink

May 05, 2014, 10:28 am

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/205185-first-lady-to-help-open-anna-wintour-costume-center

First Lady Michelle Obama will jet to New York City on Monday for the ribbon cutting of the new Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — and a pair of Democratic fundraisers.

Wintour, the editor of Vogue, is a top fundraiser for the president and was rumored last year as a possible ambassador pick. According to the New York Times, she raised the fourth-most of any Obama bundler during the 2012 campaign.

The first lady has twice appeared on the cover of the iconic fashion magazine, and will pay tribute to Wintour during the ceremony on Monday. Obama will be joined at the event by students from the Fashion Institute of Technology and the High School for Fashion Industries.

Wintour raised approximately $125 million for the costume institute, according to the Met, funding a two-year renovation of the institute's library, conservation laboratory, research areas, offices, and exhibition galleries.

“Anna Wintour’s extraordinary advocacy and fundraising have made this state-of-the-art space a reality,” said Daniel Brodsky, the museum's chairman, in a statement. “She has the rare ability to rally diverse groups across a wide range of industries to support The Costume Institute so it can educate and inspire visitors from around the world.”

Monday afternoon, the first lady will attend a pair of closed-press fundraisers in New York City benefiting the Democratic National Committee. The DNC has not yet released details about where those fundraisers will be held or the cost to attend.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is the first lady for the Barack Obama administration, and was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Note: Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP, and Robert F. Bauer was his personal counsel.

Robert F. Bauer was Barack Obama’s personal counsel, the White House counsel for the Barack Obama administration, and is the general counsel for the Democratic National Committee.

 Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

William M. Daley is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a trustee at the Third Way, and was the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration.

Nancy Jacobson was the founder/senior adviser for the Third Way, and the finance director for the Democratic National Committee.

Lewis B. Cullman is a trustee at the Third Way, and an honorary trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Henry A. Kissinger is a trustee emeritus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

David H. Koch is a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Leonard A. Lauder is a benefactor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

James S. Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Lester Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank), the Center for International Policy, and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Darcy Burner is a director at the Center for International Policy, and a director at ActBlue.

ActBlue raises funds online for the Democratic National Committee.

Elizabeth Frawley Bagley is a national advisory board chair for the Democratic National Committee, and a director at the National Park Foundation.

Henry R. Munoz III is a national advisory board chair for the Democratic National Committee, and a director at the National Park Foundation.

Bryan Traubert is a director at the National Park Foundation, and married to Penny S. Pritzker.

Penny S. Pritzker is married to Bryan Traubert, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, was the national finance chair, fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a co-chair for the 2009 Barack Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural committee, and the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Valerie B. Jarrett is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and her great uncle is Vernon E. Jordan Jr.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), a senior managing director at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Robert S. Strauss was a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, and the chairman for the Democratic National Committee.

Michel David-Weill is a managing director at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, and a trustee emeritus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Steven L. Rattner was the deputy chairman and deputy CEO for Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Jeffrey W. Greenberg was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and is a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Henry B. Schacht was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and is a trustee emeritus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

C. Douglas Dillon was the chairman for the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Teresa Heinz Kerry is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), married to John F. Kerry, and a trustee at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

Edward G. Rendell was an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and the chairman for the Democratic National Committee.

Lily Adams is the deputy communications director for the Democratic National Committee, and her mother is Cecile Richards.

Cecile Richards is Lily Adams’s mother, and the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Ann Lewis was a VP for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a political director for the Democratic National Committee, and is Barney Frank’s sister.

Glover Park Group is the lobby firm for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Howard Wolfson was a partner at the Glover Park Group, a senior adviser for the Democratic National Committee, and married to Terri McCullough.

Terri McCullough is married to Howard Wolfson, and Nancy Pelosi’s chief of staff.

Nancy Pelosi’s chief of staff is Terri McCullough, the minority leader for the U.S. House of Representatives, and her deputy chief of staff was Cecile Richards.

Cecile Richards was Nancy Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, Lily Adams’s mother, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and married to Kirk Adams.

Lily Adams is Cecile Richards’s daughter, and the deputy communications director for the Democratic National Committee.

Kirk Adams is married to Cecile Richards, the International EVP for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and was an organizing director for the AFL-CIO.

Patrick H. Gaspard was a political director for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the White House political director for the Barack Obama administration, and is an executive director for the Democratic National Committee.

Geoffrey Garin was a strategic researcher for the AFL-CIO, and a pollster for the Democratic National Committee.