Trump donor hosting Romney fundraiser

Stephen Schwarzman, a donor and an informal adviser to President Trump, plans to host a fundraiser with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) Thursday to back Republicans in their reelection campaigns, a source familiar with the fundraiser confirmed to The Hill.

Schwarzman will host the fundraiser at his apartment for a small group of donors, sources familiar with the fundraiser told CNN. The money obtained from the fundraiser intends to go to Romney’s political action committee, Believe in America PAC, as well as the National Republican Senatorial Committee and three GOP Senate campaigns. 

{mosads}The fundraiser will support the campaigns of Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and John James, who is running for the Senate in Michigan, a source familiar with the fundraiser told The Hill.

Schwarzman will support Romney at a time when the Utah senator is distinguishing himself from the president. Romney has been one of Trump’s loudest critics within the Republican Party in the past few weeks, condemning the president for his decision to remove U.S. troops from Syria and for asking the Ukrainian president to look into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. 

The Utah senator dismissed any suggestion that he plans to persuade other GOP lawmakers to support impeachment in an interview with Axios Sunday. 

Schwarzman previously donated about $850,000 to Trump’s inauguration and PACs, according to CNN and the Center for Responsive Politics. He has also funded some of Romney’s political races, amounting to about $94,200 total, including his 2018 Senate run, for which he and his wife donated the maximum. Schwarzman also endorsed Romney for president in 2012.