Even many who dislike Nancy Pelosi and her politics admit she knows how to lead, cultivate consensus, persuade, network, and intimidate to get things done.
Enemies and opponents of the former House Speaker also concede she can raise money—lots of money.
No one in the history of the Democratic Party has brought cash like Pelosi.
Tutoring and Guiding Her Successor
Now, having handed the speaker’s gavel to GOP Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and willingly given up her position as House Democratic leader, Pelosi has appointed herself as a fundraising mentor and liaison to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.Indeed, last week, with Congress not in session, Pelosi guided and accompanied Jeffries on a tour of the Golden State, with a primary agenda of meeting donors and drumming up cash with stops in San Francisco, the city of Pelosi’s primary residence, and then on to the Los Angeles area.
The deadline story noted that “Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar” were also scheduled for the “event, which is being billed as a ‘DCCC Political Update,’ and ”organized by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.”
A “powerhouse on the fundraising circuit” is how Deadline described Nancy Pelosi.
Jeffries Takes Initiative
Jeffries has already shown ability and initiative in fundraising. An example is when, as the voting process played out to elect a speaker and Republicans were unable to get the job done after several votes, Jeffries emailed a fundraising pitch for his party.
“I'll be blunt: Republicans are incapable of governing,” Jeffries wrote in the pitch. “And they’re putting politics over the American people. But if Democrats stick together in this historic moment, we have an opportunity to show how powerful we are.
Led By McCarthy, GOP House Find Its Stride as Biden Admin Faces Serious Problems
The Republican Party secured the votes for Kevin McCarthy to become speaker—and Hakeem Jeffries knows that is one reason among many that it is particularly critical that he ramp up fast as a fundraiser.With the speaker drama behind them, the GOP can now focus on passing bills and leading from the lower chamber of Congress.
And Republicans don’t want to make life easy for their colleagues across the aisle.
Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, has already announced an investigation into the Biden administration’s handling of the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border.
And then, there is Speaker McCarthy himself—another fundraising all-star and juggernaut.
Nancy and Paul Pelosi and Their Money
An asset to Nancy Pelosi in her efforts to wring big bucks out of the Democratic and left-leaning moneyed class is that she and her husband of more than 60 years, Paul Pelosi, are members of that class and have been for a long time. Paul Pelosi is the owner and operator of Financial Leasing Services, Inc., a real estate and venture capital firm based in San Francisco.
Pelosi’s wealth is tied to her husband’s business and has risen considerably during her time in Congress and has done so while her husband fended off allegations that he used inside information obtained from his wife’s positions as speaker to make investment decisions and purchases.
