“'The most open Administration in history' barring reporters from Obama’s tech fundraisers"

With scandals surrounding the president over whether he might be interfering with the AT&T - T-Mobile merger to protect big corporate givers, one would think that Obama would be more careful about the appearance for these things. From the SF Chronicle.

In a week in which Silicon Valley is the focus of intense news coverage, the White House that promised the “most open administration in history” has made an unusual move — barring local reporters from covering a pair of high priced presidential fundraisers in the tech region Sunday.
The President will star at two big Silicon Valley fundraisers Sunday, attending a $38,500 per person dinner at the Atherton home of COO Sheryl Sandberg, and starring at $2,500 and up fundraiser starring Bruce Hornsby at the Woodside home of Sandi and John Thompson.

But in a rare move — and a departure from the President’s previous trips to California – local media have been informed that the White House will not allow any of their representatives to act as a “pool” reporter and file reports from those events.
Peter Scheer, who heads the First Amendment Coalition, said that “it’s their party and they can design that party list the way they want – but it shows, in my judgement, poor judgement for them to exclude the press. What goes on in a meeting where people pay this much to see the president is not trivial.” And by barring local reporters specifically, he adds, that means the journalists most likely to know personalities — and donors — present will be outside the doors.

“The public is more likely to get a full report of what transpires if there at least some journalists there who recognize and even know the people who have paid to get in,’’ he said. The donors are “not just ordinary citizens,” but CEOs and Silicon Valley insiders who have been given access to the president with their checks. . . .