END OF ERA

Secretive Hollywood Conservative Group Dissolves

Fueling speculation over Trump-related feuds.

Friends of Abe, the clandestine fraternity of Hollywood conservatives, is shutting down, fueling speculation over internal disputes regarding the potential nomination of Donald Trump. The club, founded by actor Gary Sinise, has long acted as a private event network for directors, producers, and actors (Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammer, among others) with right-leaning views living in a famously liberal L.A. culture. “Effective immediately, we are going to begin to wind down,” the group’s executive director Jeremy Boering wrote in an email to members. “People just don’t feel as much of a need to show up for every speaker or bar night, and fewer people pay the dues that help us maintain that large infrastructure.” Boering claimed that he intends to maintain the mailing list and continue to host events, just without the formal budget and infrastructure of an official organization.