Washington – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is among a group of House Democrats in East Hartford today to play a little bocce ball for charity – and also raise money for the Democratic Party at a separate event.
Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, holds the bocce tournament every year. It began as a small event and has grown over 25 years so that Friday it was held at the East Hartford Knights of Columbus.
Proceeds from the tournament will go to the East Hartford Interfaith Ministries and the St. Patrick –St. Anthony Church in Hartford, an aide to Larson said.
“He believes very strongly in the charities and he’s very pleased [lawmakers] come up for this,” the aide said.
Larson’s office could not say how many Democratic lawmakers traveled to East Hartford from Washington for the bocce event, but another congressional source said “about 20.”
Pelosi’s office confirmed the top House Democrat was among them. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the Democratic whip in the U.S. House of Representatives and the second-most powerful Democratic member of that chamber, was also at the Knights of Columbus pavilion Friday.
But the House Democratic leaders did not travel to Hartford just to play a little bocce ball.
They were also in town to attend a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising luncheon, their offices said.
The fundraiser, which Larson helped organize, was held at the swanky ON20 restaurant in Hartford, which recommends prospective dinners make their reservations at least 30 days in advance.
The DCCC did not return calls regarding the luncheon.