Rahm: Of course my brother is helping me raise money

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday dismissed as no big deal, the Hollywood fundraising pipeline laid by his super-agent brother that has turned into gold for the mayor once again.

“It would be a story if my brother wasn’t helping me–not that he is helping me,” the mayor said.

“But, that may just say something about my family that’s different from yours. But, that’s how I look at it.”

The mayor’s political fund reported this week that it has raised $426,000 since Jan. 1, but only $126,000 from Chicago contributors.

That includes $150,000 from southern California contributors, $54,300 from Los Angeles and $30,900 from Beverly Hills.

Once again, Ari Emanuel arranged for a Hollywood fundraiser attended by Chicago’s mayor that drew such marquee contributions as: $10,500 from Movie studio Lionsgate Entertainment; $5,300 apiece from NBC Universal President Ronald Meyer and Walter Disney Co. Chairman Robert A. Iger; $5,200 from former Disney CEO Michael Eisner and $2,500 from Academy Award-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.

John Kupper, a spokesman for the mayor’s political organization, said Rahm Emanuel is a “national figure” with “friends and supporters all over the country.” Kupper said it’s not “all that surprising” that more than 55 percent of the mayor’s recent contributions came from out of state.