Washington: President Barack Obama`s administration on Monday defended its decision to keep a "private" White House party featuring Stevie Wonder, Prince and hundreds of guests out of the public eye.
The event on Saturday -- revealed by political figure and guest Al Sharpton on Twitter -- was paid for by the president, White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said.
"The president and first lady did hold a private party here at the White House over the weekend," said Earnest.
"But given the private nature of the event, I don`t have a lot details to discuss."
"The president and first lady are going to reserve the right to host private parties at the White House, and they did it on their own dime."
Sharpton described the party, which cost an undisclosed amount, as an "unbelievable experience," with "Prince and Stevie Wonder on keyboards together."
But the guest list, reported to include up to 500 people including many with political and economic clout, raised questions about whether or not the party should have been disclosed.
