LAKEWOOD, Colorado — Presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's first major fundraiser will be closed to the press, in apparent violation of the Romney-Ryan campaign's oft-strained agreement with the reporters who cover the campaign.
Days after assuring reporters that Ryan would follow the same rules as Romney when determining which fundraisers would be open to reporters, the campaign has apparently changed their tune.
As of Tuesday morning, reporters would not be permitted to cover Ryan's fundraiser with billionaire mega-donor Sheldon Adelson at The Venetian in Las Vegas tonight. The campaign's agreement with the press is that events not at private residences are to be open to reporters. The campaign has also kept reporters from events where Romney does not deliver formal remarks.
Ryan aides would not comment on the change on the record. Ryan held a fundraiser in Denver on Monday that was closed press because it was at a private home.
Adelson attended a Romney fundraiser in Jerusalem last month that was initially closed press, but ultimately caved to media pressure to honor the agreement. At the event, Romney found himself in hot water after saying the Palestinian people's economic hardships are a result of cultural differences from Israelis — sparking charges of racism from Palestinian leaders.
UPDATE: A Romney aide told reporters that the event in Las Vegas is not a fundraiser but a "finance event," and therefore closed to reporters. The aide would not say what the distinction is between the two, declining to say whether the campaign is collecting checks at the event.
"Nobody paid to come to tonight's event," the aide clarified later, saying it is a "Nevada Finance Leadership Event." The aide would not say who would be in attendance or what criteria were used to determine who would be invited.