In recent years, Sanders has been billed as one of the hosts for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's retreats for the "Majority Trust" -- an elite group of top donors who give more than $30,000 per year -- at Martha's Vineyard in the summer and Palm Beach, Florida, in the winter. CNN has obtained invitations that listed Sanders as a host for at least one Majority Trust event in each year since 2011.

The retreats are typically attended by 100 or more donors who have either contributed the annual legal maximum of $33,400 to the DSCC, raised more than $100,000 for the party or both.
. . .
A Democratic lobbyist and donor who has attended the retreats told CNN that about 25% of the attendees there represent the financial sector -- and that Sanders and his wife, Jane, are always present.

"At each of the events all the senators speak. And I don't recall him ever giving a speech attacking us," the donor said. "While progressive, his remarks were always in the mainstream of what you hear from senators."

Facing skepticism about his foreign policy expertise, Bernie Sanders said on Sunday that he speaks to "many, many, many people" who provide him with advice on the subject.
But the sole person Sanders cited by name told POLITICO that he's spoken to Sanders only one time recently.


"I was asked to go over and speak with him just once, which I did," said Lawrence J. Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. Korb said the wide-ranging conversation "probably" occurred in December.
Korb was among about a half-dozen foreign policy experts who spoke to POLITICO on Friday after Sanders' campaign cited them as recent sources of advice for the Vermont senator. At least half of them say they have only spoken to Sanders once or twice in the past year. . . .

The ambiguity about Sanders' foreign policy team is a stark contrast to Clinton's campaign, which maintains several foreign policy working groups manned by hundreds of experts and former government officials. The groups are coordinated by Laura Rosenberger, a former top aide to deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken who manages policies, messaging and strategy on the national security issues for the campaign. One of Clinton's closest confidants is Jake Sullivan, a former top State Department official during her tenure. Sanders' campaign has yet to publicly identify a full-time foreign policy staffer.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/bernie-sanders-korb-military-adviser-218482#ixzz3yu1QpmDP