Romney banks $3M, draws protests at Hamptons fundraisers

Among the events: a $5,000-per-plate lunch at the residence of Ronald Perlman, chairman of beauty product manufacturer Revlon, and an evening fundraiser at the home of billionaire conservative activist and Tea Party funder David Koch that cost a minimum of $50,000 to attend.

High-profile guests and donors were on the scene, including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who attended the lunch at Perlman’s home. Donors at the event, co-hosted by financiers Lew Eisenberg and Daniel Loeb, were asked to contribute $25,000 for the chance to take a photo with Romney and Cantor.

{mosads}Also attending the event, according to the Los Angeles Times, were Michael and Sharon Zambrelli, a couple who hosted a prominent New York fundraiser for President Obama in 2008.

“It’s not helping the economy to pit the people who are the engine of the economy against the people who rely on that engine,” Michael Zambrelli told the paper. “He’s basically been biting the hand that fed him in ’08. … I would bet 25 percent of the people here were supporters of Obama in ’08. And they’re here now.”

The day’s final event, at the home of David Koch, drew protesters from liberal group MoveOn.org and Occupy Wall Street. Around 100 protesters bused in from Manhattan, and a plane with a banner reading “Romney has a Koch problem” circulated along the beach.

Secret Service agents prevented protesters from getting too close to the event, but shouts of “Shame on you” and “Koch kills” could be heard by some dinner guests who peeked out at the scene unfolding on the beach.

The Democratic National Committee released an ad Sunday mocking the fundraiser and suggesting Romney would be indebted to Koch and his oil holdings.

“Give a new $250,000 tax cut to every millionaire & billionaire. Protect tax loopholes for companies outsourcing jobs. Protect tax subsidies for Big Oil,” says onscreen text. “Mitt Romney: Great for oil billionaires, bad for the middle class.”