Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile were expected to speak at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago this week.
The two were scheduled to take part in a discussion about the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 at NEIU's auditorium, located at 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Tickets to the event, titled "Politics, Press, and the Presidential Election" and moderated by WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" host Phil Ponce, went on sale for $10 on Aug. 27 and sold out before the event, according to the school's website.
WBEZ reported Thursday that the school agreed to pay Spicer - President Donald Trump's first spokesman when he took office in 2017 - and Brazile both $50,000 in speaking fees. Citing internal NEIU emails, WBEZ reported that hundreds of students, staff and alumni sent a letter to the school's president asking her to withdraw Spicer's invitation.
WBEZ also reported that the school's administrators have been discussing how to rebut the criticism of the event, which included a town hall meeting hosted by NEIU's Student Government Association on Aug. 29 to discuss the lecture.
