Opinion: Billionaire George Soros throws some more money to the left
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An organization backed by billionaire George Soros and other wealthy liberals spread $5.2 million to an array of left-leaning groups in the first quarter of the year, a campaign finance report filed today shows.
The Fund for America, an independent campaign group created by Soros, San Franciscan Rob McKay (a Taco Bell heir), and the Service Employees International Union, raised $4.1 million in the first 90 days of the year, pushing the total money harvest since its creation late last year to $10.8 million.
Soros gave $1 million to the group in February after giving $2.5 million in December. Los Angeles producer Stephen Bing chipped in $2.5 million in January, and Lee Fikes of Bonanza Oil Co., in Dallas, gave a measly $300,000, according to the report filed with the Internal Revenue Service, which oversees so-called 527 campaign organizations.
The Fund for America, in turn, donated money to an array of liberal and antiwar groups including $1.5 million to the Campaign to Defend America, $500,000 to America Votes; $200,000 to ACORN; and $100,000 to VoteVets.org.
It gave lesser amounts to organizations in several states including Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota, all of which could be important swing states in the November general election.
A conservative organization, Freedom’s Watch, had used Soros’ involvement in Internet-based fundraising in its own appeals earlier this year. Freedom’s Watch was created last year as a conservative answer to such groups.
At that time the New York Times reported that Freedom’s Watch would be funded with as much as $200 million. But the same newspaper recently said the group had fallen far short of its goals. Haven’t we all?
“I had heard they were going to spend $100 million,’ a Republican consultant told The Times’ Dan Morain the other day, ‘but I haven’t seen them spend 25 cents.”
--Andrew Malcolm