Update: The campaign said Sunday it will now allow the press to cover Romney's remarks at the fund-raiser, but reporters will be escorted out before he takes questions from the audience.
(CNN) - Mitt Romney's presidential campaign will not allow reporters to cover the candidate's Monday fund-raiser in Jerusalem, a campaign aide said Saturday.
That decision is a change in practice from an agreement the campaign and media outlets, including CNN, reached with the campaign last spring.
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Romney press aide Rick Gorka told reporters following Romney on his international trip that the fund-raiser was closed press, but offered no explanation as to why. Romney touched down Saturday in Israel and will head later to Poland.
A rotating small number of reporters attend the candidate's fund-raisers held in public places - such as Jerusalem's King David Hotel, the site of Monday's event - and share their reporting with other outlets, but reporters are not allowed into Romney's fund-raisers in private homes.
Several reporters attended part of Romney's fundraiser in London on Thursday.
Among those who may attend the fund-raiser is billionaire Sheldon Adelson, the major Republican donor who last month donated millions to the primary super PAC supporting Romney.
The campaign of President Barack Obama allows a similar pool of reporters to attend some Obama campaign fund-raisers, excluding those at which Obama will not deliver remarks. Some of those venues have included hotel fund-raisers.
Romney's closed-door fund-raisers and his private comments to donors were highlighted when reporters from NBC News and The Wall Street Journal overheard Romney telling donors in a backyard in April that as president he might close the Department of Housing and Urban Development and scale back the Department of Education, items he had not rolled out in public events at the time.
In response to the news, Obama campaign senior adviser David Axelrod tweeted, "After London debacle, Romney team re-institutes Mittness Protection Program. Now media will be barred from his Jerusalem fundraiser."
In another tweet, he added, "Is it because Sheldon Adelson, the SuperPac King, will be among the guests?"
– CNN's Jim Acosta, Steve Brusk, and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
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Money from other countries, is this OKAY with the American public???????????
The controlling interest really like to keep their secrets.
nothing new mitt will let YOU PEOPLE no what his plan is ,when he,s damned well ready,its between him and his GODS all of them
Nice Goin Scalia, Roberts, Kennedy & Co. A candidate SECRETLY getting Donations from foriegn Soil.
oh man.... US foriegn policy and relations are hanging in the balance... Mitt can't seem to hide his pandering stupidity from foriegn dignitaries or even common folk. Can anyone remember when a foriegn ambassador came to this country and the next day the front pages of national newspapers were directly insulting? I can't remember that ever happening.
yet, after a one day visit, the london sun blasted the headline "Mitt the twit". Lets take a good look at this guy and see him for what he is, before we end up in another illegal, unjustified war, or worse.
What's the big deal? Just another flip flop.
I wish the media would stop covering Romney. CNN you and other professional media outlets are better than this. Stop letting Romney manipulate you and other well know media outlets. Maybe we need The National Enquirer to find out what Romney is hiding.
Alexithymic Mitt makes secretive Nixon look like an open book!
Jesus H. Christ!! Can this man be any MORE secretive?? How on God's green Earth can anyone with any form of self-respect vote for this charlatan? I am appalled by his tactics and public demeanor. I am appalled by his secrecy and his lies. His campaign is incessantly editing speeches made by Obama to fit their own narrative, taking what was said by our president completely out of context and purposefully twisitng what he says. Now, Mitt says that the press is BANNED from his fundraiser in Israel. WHAT IS HE HIDING????
Promices of war if he becomes potus.
I wonder if he will promise to release Jonathon Pollard?
This man is sooooo shady...No transparency WHATSOEVER
I don't get the campaign, they are begging for grief. This is playing into the secrecy storyline and annoy the news outlets. It makes you wonder what is going to be said at that meeting or worse- his advisers are so afraid of what he might say that they don't want coverage. In all honesty his best bet for election is to go hide and don't talk to a soul- hope the economic numbers tank over the next three months and then pop up at the end and say "look he sucks vote for me!" He has a shot then. If not, even with sketchy numbers I cannot see him winning.
Be careful, Mitt, CNN is going to track your every word, action, and reaction on your Israel Trip! They want to find fault, then smear you with a vengence! They are already wrting articles saying your "Trip is in Shambles from Day One".
CNN wants to mimize you, and defeat you, they are not your friend! Be Aware!
Is he now doing a Palin and trying to hide from the press?
The "decision is a change in practice from an agreement the campaign ...reached...last spring." Poor Mitt. He's hasn't won the presidency and already he's breaking campaign promises. Besides, what the hell is he doing at a US presidential fundraiser in JERUSALEM...where US campaign finance laws are not enforceable?
Romney , all we need isBush and Cheney !
When he means corporations are people too , Romney means it !
I'm sure privacy is of much concern when it comes to outside interests !
Adelson is running the show and Romney will stand by and let Adelson attack President Obama on foreign soil but we will hold Romney responsible. What goes on behind closed doors always comes to light and Mr. Romney can run but he can't hide.
Just what we need...an "untouchable" for President. Get lost Pretender.
Going overseas to raise money – really – that's the American way? Something ain't right here!
I'm truly worried for Romney's health! How can a healthy person his age flip-flop so much, how can he make such an egregious gaffe, immediately upon landing in UK! Isn't this how it started w/Reagan? Please, get him to a physical, post haste! I'm not kidding! Don't care if this doesn't get posted! It's out there now, some1 will see!!
Halting education and bringing back slavery for all expendable Americans "earning" less than $20M a year.
LOL Axelrod is upset because his Chicago thugs cant get in and misquote and distort Romney's statements ..... again.
Its amusing at the length that Ms Powers and Axelrod and gang with go to to make a big deal out of nothing in an effort to keep people from talking about the shambles this administration has left our economy in. Lets face it, Axelrod has a tough job. The guy he is working to re-elect has done nothing positive in 3 1/2 years and has broken countless campaign promises. There is really nothing to talk about except to try and make a big deal out of something like this article. By the way, Obama has barred reporters himself from fundraisers at the private residence of doners also. If Axelrod and the Chicago gang want transparency so bad, why not start with releasing the Fast n Furious papers.... could there be something to hide? A "felony" perhaps?
Romney wouldn't want to be overheard while making the final arrangements for the Mossad to extricate Adelson from his legal troubles in Macau. Dirty deeds, ya know .............
Doesn't want press to hear what the jews thing about him.