Nothing brings Congress together like Taylor Swift.
Members are holding at least 19 fundraisers around the pop star's two Washington D.C. concerts in mid-July, according to the Sunlight Foundation, which tracks political fundraising.
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While tickets can be found on Swift’s website for about $180, members
are asking supporters for as much as $5,000 in political contributions
in exchange for concert seats at Nationals Park on July 13 and 14.
"With so much competition for time and money, politicians are always
looking for new and creative ways to fund-raise," said Jenn Topper, a
spokesperson for the Sunlight Foundation.
Swift has been a major draw for politicians since 2010, Topper said,
citing the nonprofit's data. But members traditionally take advantage of
any well-known musician in town — from Bruce Springsteen, to the Jonas Brothers.
While both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have plans for Swift's shows, the 25-year-old singer has kept her own political affiliation ambiguous.
"I know who I'm going to vote for, but I don't think that it's important for me to say it," she told NPR in 2012. "I just want to make sure that every public decision I make is an educated one."
Swift voted for the first time in 2008, and told People Magazine she said she "went with her gut instinct" in the voting booth.
