Gala featuring Andrea Bocelli at Mar-a-Lago has charitable aims, partisan celebrity invitees

Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli will perform at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Sunday. The appearance is at a charity gala that sponsors say is raising money for injured veterans, first responders and rescue dogs.

Despite these popular causes, however, the Mar-a-Lago event and the nonprofit organization behind it have been forced to address sniping that they are thinly disguised political ventures. Some guests have raised apparently unfounded doubts about whether the Mar-a-Lago bash, called the Hero Gala, will happen and whether Bocelli will appear.

The discussion has led the event’s sponsor, a newly formed group called the World Series of Golf Foundation, to post disclaimers on its website. And it’s prompted a representative for Bocelli to confirm he will perform while also stating the singer’s non-politically affiliated status.

One reason the gala may be getting scrutiny, fair or not, is the inclusion of people who have been connected with or vocally supportive of the former president.

“It sounds like a Republican fundraising event, knowing who these people are,” said one Palm Beach resident, a Bocelli fan who already bought tickets but who asked not to be identified. “I hope Bocelli doesn’t decide not to show up.”

The chatter speaks to how Mar-a-Lago, once the prime venue for the Palm Beach winter season’s most exclusive philanthropic charity balls, remains inextricably viewed through the lens of politics. Conventional political wisdom states that Trump is on his way to the Republican presidential nomination, making some less-partisan patrons at his private club leery of being associated with his abrasive brand of politics.

That said, many of the events held and planned at the Palm Beach club are either singularly philanthropic or political in nature and purpose. In the case of the Hero Gala, the event has found itself in a unique lane in which its stated objective is strictly and clearly charitable but its roster of celebrity attendees includes a bevy of Trump partisans.

The celebrities, organizers for Bocelli spearheaded-gala have a common denominator: Trump

The wariness about the Hero Gala’s potential political overtones stems from the listing of gala organizers who have assorted ties to Trump. This includes those who served in his administration, represent him or are supporters, as well as the expected appearances by headliners known to back the former president vocally.

Earlier in January, the Hero Gala website listed attorney Alina Habba, who defended the former president in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case in Manhattan and the New York attorney general’s fraud case. She was listed among the “celebrities” slated to attend the gala.

After The Palm Beach Post made inquiries, Habba’s name and photo were removed from the homepage of the event’s website. Her name appeared on another section of the site until this past weekend. Habba did not respond to an email asking if she planned to attend the event.

Jun 13, 2023; Miami, FL, USA; Trump attorney Alina Habba reacts after talking to reporters outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse where former President Donald Trump is set to appear to be arraigned as he faces 37 criminal charges.

The gala’s website also lists several other celebrities slated to attend. It includes vocal Trump supporter Kevin Sorbo. At one point, the site also listed Oscar-winner Jon Voight.

Sorbo, who played Hercules in a 1990s TV series, also is set to attend a “mega MAGA” celebration held the following weekend at Mar-a-Lago. The Feb. 10 event is sponsored by the Trumpettes, a Trump fan club cofounded by Mar-a-Lago club member Toni Holt Kramer.

Voight previously attended a 2019 gala at Mar-a-Lago hosted by the Trumpettes.

Actor John Voight is seen speaking on-stage during the Trumpettes USA Gala at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, FL, on Saturday, February 23, 2019. [ANDRES LEIVA/Special to palmbeachpost.com]

Several Hero Gala committee members are linked to Trump as well. They include Arthur Bernstein, stepson of Robin Bernstein, Trump’s former ambassador to the Dominican Republic; and Leandro “Lee” Rizzuto Jr., a business executive who served as Trump’s U.S. consul general to Bermuda.

Janet Levy, a philanthropist involved with the Cancer Alliance of Help & Hope and a founding member of the Trumpettes fan club, is on the gala organizing committee as well. So is celebrity interviewer Daphne Barak, who brought Voight to a 2019 Trumpettes gala at Mar-a-Lago; and author Erbil Gunasti. Barak and Gunasti co-wrote “GameChanger Trump Card: Turkey & Erdogan” and “Struggling for One America: Trump vs. Hollywood: The Two White Houses.”

Several people are set to receive awards at the event, according to one iteration of the Hero Gala’s website, which has been frequently updated in recent weeks.

The web page for the Hero Gala by the WSOG Foundation

That list includes two figures also supportive of Trump, Dr. Ronny Jackson, who was a former White House physician and now serves as a Texas Republican congressman, and Levy, the philanthropist. Their names, however, are no longer listed.

Other award recipients listed aren’t known for their overt political connections.

They are Dr. Herbert Wertheim, an optometrist, entrepreneur and philanthropist; and John Pescosolido, executive director of St. Anne Place, an outreach center for the homeless in West Palm Beach.

World Series of Golf Foundation president also appears to have links to PACs

The entity behind the Hero Gala is the World Series of Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization created in December 2022. The nonprofit is registered with the Internal Revenue Service and Florida’s Department of State, public records show.

The foundation’s website said its mission is to hold celebrity golf invitational tournaments for the benefit of veterans and heroes in Palm Beach. But the website is thin on other details.

The website does not list the names of officers or directors, nor does it feature information about its terms and conditions, its refund policy or its privacy policy. These sections of the website still feature sample templates or a “coming soon” banner as of Jan. 31.

Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach Wednesday, February 7, 2018. (Bruce R. Bennett / The Palm Beach Post)

The leader of both the nonprofit World Series of Golf Foundation and the Hero Gala is a Miami resident named L.J. Foley, according to the Hero Gala website and state and federal records.

Public records show Foley is linked to two political action committees, one of which is called the Patriotic Majority PAC, whose mission is to “stop election interference and those who support the Biden crime family.”

Both PACs use the same address as the World Series of Golf Foundation, a UPS store on Southwest 152nd Street in southern Miami-Dade County. The 152nd Street address and box number also are on the Hero Gala website in connection to the payment-by-wire instructions.

Foley did not respond to written questions inquiring about the PACs, the World Series of Golf Foundation and the Hero Gala. He also did not respond to questions about his background.

But Foley’s Facebook page says he is a political and data technology expert. His Facebook page features photos of him with Trump, as well as with Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis at Mar-a-Lago in April 2021.

The Florida Department of State lists Foley as agent and president, Arthur Bernstein as president and Richard Arlett as vice president of the World Series of Golf Foundation.

Gala organizers, Bocelli representative, Gary Sinise foundation official say the Heroes Gala is not a partisan gathering

In a Jan. 17 interview, Bernstein said the gala benefits several charities.

These nonprofits include the Gary Sinise Foundation, a Tennessee-based charity that supporters veterans and first responders; Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a dog rescue organization in Loxahatchee Groves; the Tunnel to Tower Foundation, a New York-based nonprofit that helps families of military veterans and first responders; and the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics, an orthotics and prosthetics education program in Tampa.

The World Series of Golf Foundation also supports FIDF, or Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, the armed forces of Israel, Bernstein said.

“It’s not a political event,” Bernstein said. “It’s for veterans.”

After The Post began making inquiries in mid-January, the Hero Gala website was updated with two statements that sought to distance the event from entities either with political affiliations or with Trump.

“This is a Charity Non-Profit Event it is not a political event, there will be no political speeches, etc. it is a wonderful night to raise monies for charity that helps benefit heroes,” read a new statement on the website.

Farther down on the website, another disclaimer states: “This event is at a venue that often hosts charity events and political events. This event is not political.”

In a written statement, a Bocelli representative said the singer has been engaged to perform at Mar-a-Lago “for a fundraiser for veterans that is being held at the venue.”

“It is not a Trump event or a political event,” the representative’s email said.

Andrea Bocelli arrives at the 24th annual Latin Grammy Awards in Seville, Spain, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023.

“As Italians,” the representative went on, “we want to emphasize that we do not endorse any specific candidate or president. We respect the democratic will of the American people, which Andrea holds in high regard, regardless of the electoral outcome proclaimed by America. Whether it is for Trump or Clinton or Bush or Obama, we have always accepted invitations from Presidents of the United States, regardless of their political affiliation.”

Bocelli sang for President Biden on Capitol Hill during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday.

Bocelli’s representative, who asked not to be identified by name, did not respond to a question asking if Trump had asked Bocelli to perform at this event. But the representative said the former president “will not be there.”

More: Organizers of the Hero Gala featuring Andrea Bocelli plans golf tournament, too

At least one charity set to receive money from the gala, the Gary Sinese Foundation, is aware and expressed concern that the event be nonpolitical in nature and tone.

Jen Dicker, its donor relations specialist, said she “straight out” asked Foley if the Hero Gala is political.

“He promised me absolutely 100% no political overtone at all,” Dicker said.

At one point, the Hero Gala’s website listed the well-known Big Dog Rescue organization. But its logo has been removed from the gala’s website.

“While we are not directly involved in this event, we always appreciate organizations and caring individuals who raise funds to help us rescue dogs,” Big Dog Ranch spokesperson Chase Scott said.

Hero Gala website seeks to quell ‘incorrect’ information being circulated, while wire payment option raises eyebrows

Until this past weekend, the gala’s website posted a peculiar question: “Is this amazing event going forward?”

Under the heading, the gala’s website sought to quash rumors the gala will not be held and Bocelli will not appear.

“Unfortunately, there were a couple of individuals who were sharing incorrect information,” the statement said. The statement reassured that the charity dinner, auction and awards ceremony are happening and will include the hour-long Bocelli performance at the end of the evening.

The statement asked that anyone receiving information to the contrary notify the gala organizers immediately “so we can address swiftly.”

Big money is at stake for guests. Even by Palm Beach standards, the tickets are pricey. They range from $3,750 to $40,000 for a single ticket. A front-row table and eight tickets cost a whopping $250,000, according to a prior version of the Hero Gala website.

Others point to a peculiar way to pay for tickets to the gala: Tickets to the Hero Gala can be purchased via wire transfer to a Chase Bank account, as well as with a check or credit card. Wire instructions, including a bank account number and a routing number, are listed on the website.

The wire instruction is unusual, said Richard Rampell, a retired Palm Beach CPA.

“I have never seen a solicitation for funds with a request to wire the money,” said Rampell, a longtime Palm Beach resident who for decades advised wealthy philanthropic clients regarding giving to and obtaining tax deductions for purchases of tickets to charitable events.

The rocky history of charities at Mar-a-Lago

Prior to Trump’s presidency, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club was a popular venue for charities hosting events because of the venue’s grand ballrooms and Old World charm.

But soon after Trump was sworn in as president in 2017 and announced a Muslim travel ban via executive order, the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said they would pull future fundraising events from Mar-a-Lago.

The trend accelerated to include more than two dozen charities in August 2017 after Trump said there were some “very fine people” on both sides of confrontations between neo-Nazis, white supremacists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville that summer.

The Palm Beach winter season: Salvation Army gala still set for Mar-a-Lago despite latest Trump uproar

Charities that shunned Mar-a-Lago didn’t criticize Trump, his rhetoric or his policies directly. They largely said the decision to move their galas from his private club was made to avoid controversies that could divert from their mission to raise money for their causes.

While a few charities have tiptoed back to Mar-a-Lago since his presidency ended in January 2021, Trump’s refusal to accept his loss in the November 2020 election, and now his indictment on 91 criminal charges, continues to make scheduling events at his club fraught for most charities that wish to stay clear of politics.

Bocelli encountered a similar issue in late 2016 after he was asked to perform at Trump’s inaugural festivities. News reports said he backed out of a January 2017 event after receiving social media backlash, including a hashtag #BoycottBocelli.

A Trump inaugural official later said Bocelli was not formally asked to perform. The official said Trump and Bocelli have been friends for years, with the opera star performing in the past at Mar-a-Lago.

Hero Gala site urges interested guests not to wait to buy tickets

It’s not clear how many tickets the Hero Gala has sold for the dinner, dance and Bocelli concert.

Foley did not respond to emailed questions about the event, including the number of tickets sold and still available.

But the Hero Gala’s website urged people, in bold and capitalized type, to buy tickets as quickly as possible: “Due to the uniqueness of this event, the headline performer, and celebrities attending, tickets will sell out quickly so DO NOT DRAG YOUR FEET.”

Data reporter Chris Persaud contributed to this report.

Alexandra Clough is a business writer at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at aclough@pbpost.com. X: @acloughpbp. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago for new charity