Buying of the President

Published — October 27, 2015

Lincoln Bedroom mystery solved

Donor Patricia Duff explains why she called Bill Clinton a ‘full-service president’

Introduction

A Lincoln Bedroom mystery has been solved.

Democratic fundraiser Patricia Duff made headlines nearly two decades ago when, after an overnight stay at the White House with her then-husband Mike Medavoy, she reportedly referred to Bill Clinton as “one full-service president.”

Duff is among those first revealed as overnight guests of the Clinton White House who have stayed loyal by donating to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, the Center for Public Integrity reported this week.

Duff, who did not respond to an initial request for comment, reached out to the Center for Public Integrity on Monday to explain her earlier remark.

“The president knew that Mike had to get up early the next morning. We were both totally charmed when the President knocked on our door and brought Mike a cup of coffee as his wake up call,” she wrote in an email. “My sincere surprise at this homespun hospitality occasioned my completely sincere and innocent remark. We were delighted — and said so.”

Duff also said no one has ever confirmed to her reports that Bill Clinton was angry about her comment.

“Then, as now, I maintain a cordial relationship with both Secretary Clinton and the president,” she wrote.

Duff isn’t the only Clinton guest to be awoken by the president.

When actor Richard Dreyfuss stayed the night in 1996, the president woke him up at 7:20 a.m. to discuss politics, the Center for Public Integrity previously reported.

Dreyfuss has yet to contribute to the former first lady’s presidential bid, according to federal records.

Read more in Money and Democracy

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