Former White House chief strategist and Breitbart News executive chairman Stephen K. Bannon will stand 70 miles from the U.S. Mexico border in Arizona on Saturday and talk border security with attendees of the namesake foundation of slain Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
The Brian Terry Foundation charity will hold their annual charity dinner on Saturday, November 18, in Tucson. Bannon, along with Tucson philanthropist Norma Zimdahl and ATF Special Agent John Dodson, will be honored at the event with the Foundation’s Brian Terry Courage Awards. The Foundation notes that Dodson “blew the whistle on government officials while also revealing the botched gun-running scandal known as Operation Fast & Furious.”
Bannon was asked to provide the keynote speech at the event on the topic of border security. The Foundation has explained that the JW Marriott Star Pass Resort and Spa, where the event will be held for the third year in a row, “began to receive negative comments from some members in the community.” A hotel official had contacted dinner organizers to say that news media would not be allowed on site to cover the event, but after this news was made public, the hotel quickly reversed course and will now allow any media that the foundation credentials to cover the event.
Agent Terry’s sister Kelly Terry-Willis, a member of the Foundation’s board of directors, said that the event “is about honoring my brother for laying down his life while protecting our nation and its borders.”
Fox News correspondent William La Jeunesse will host the event, according to the Foundation’s website. The event begins with a 5:00 p.m. cocktail reception with a dinner and event program to follow at 6:00 p.m.
The Foundation is a nonprofit public charity whose purpose is to honor the life of slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry who was killed in the line of duty on December 14, 2010, near the Rio Rico, Arizona portion of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Foundation explains some of the history behind Terry’s death and the family’s search for answers on its website:
Brian is known as a true American hero who died far too young. His death resulted in the discovery of the secret government gun trafficking investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious. Brian’s family fought for answers and accountability from government officials for many years. Today, they remain committed to ensuring this type of government misconduct is never repeated.
The event is expected to host 300-400 people at $50 a ticket. As of the Foundation’s announcement, it still had tickets available, and proceeds benefit the Brian Terry Scholarship Program which provides “financial assistance to the families of slain Border Patrol agents.”
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