“It was a combination of friends that have known Mr. Trump for years while others were meeting him for the first time,” said Mike Ciletti, a consultant for the Make America Great Again PAC, one of five known pro-Trump super PACs.

Asked about the event, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski initially told POLITICO on Thursday that Trump had not attended any PAC fundraisers “to my knowledge.”

However, on Friday a campaign spokeswoman confirmed that Trump did attend, and forwarded a message from the Republican presidential candidate.

“There are so many people wanting to contribute and I am so grateful for their support. I appreciate the moral investment in my vision to Make America Great Again,” Trump said in an e-mailed statement to POLITICO Friday.