Report: Peyton Manning to speak at GOP retreat
Peyton Manning prepped for Super Bowl 50 this time last year as a member of the Denver Broncos, a game that proved to be his last as he retired weeks after he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the second time.
This week, Manning is scheduled to speak at a Congressional GOP retreat in Philadelphia, Politico reported Tuesday. The roster for the retreat, which runs Wednesday through Friday, includes President Trump and Vice President Pence.
Manning has given $17,900 to Republican candidates since 2004, according to the Federal Election Commission. A large chunk of that ($7,300) went to 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, including joint fundraiser contributions.
Alex Ovechkin on being a Russian living in Washington area: 'I'm neutral'
Jim Brown to John Lewis: 'Don’t cry the blues' on Donald Trump
NFL DRAFT HUB: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, will introduce Manning to his fellow Republicans on Thursday before his remarks at the policy retreat in Philadelphia.
Neither Corker nor fellow Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander knew what Manning was planning to address in his remarks Thursday evening.
“Passing meaningful legislation takes a great deal of teamwork, a skill Peyton has certainly mastered throughout his football career,” Corker said in a joint statement with Alexander.
Alexander also mentioned Manning’s teamwork and leadership.
"The best thing about Peyton Manning is not his skill as a quarterback but the example he sets for the rest of us, especially for young Americans,” Alexander said.
The last Manning contribution on file at the FEC was a $2,700 contribution in August 2015 that went to former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who sought the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
Eli Manning, Peyton’s brother and the New York Giants quarterback, gave the same amount — the max donation allowed to a federal candidate or the candidate’s campaign committee — to Bush in June 2015.
Contributing: Jack Lowary of The (Nashville) Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.
