Sign In  |  Register  |  About Pleasanton  |  Contact Us

Pleasanton, CA
September 01, 2020 1:32pm
7-Day Forecast | Traffic
  • Search Hotels in Pleasanton

  • CHECK-IN:
  • CHECK-OUT:
  • ROOMS:

Beyond George: Other Soros family members helped push Manhattan DA Bragg into power

George Soros' donation to a group that backed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is back in the spotlight, but he's not the only Soros family member to support him.

In May 2021, financier George Soros pushed $1 million to the Color of Change PAC, which turned around and spent big backing the candidacy of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the individual considering indicting former President Donald Trump on charges related to alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

The contribution has since returned to the spotlight after Trump and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized Bragg over his ties to the money. 

Soros, however, wasn't the only member of his family whose cash backed his candidacy. Soros' son, Jonathan Soros, and Jonathan's wife, Jennifer Allan Soros, donated directly to Bragg's campaign, according to New York campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

On April 26, 2021, Jonathan Soros sent a $10,000 check to the now-district attorney's coffers, state filings show. Three days later, on April 29, Jennifer Allan Soros added a $10,000 contribution to the campaign. While other individuals provided more direct cash to his committee, the couple were among the field of some of its biggest donors. 

HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE DEMANDS MANHATTAN DA ALVIN BRAGG TESTIFY ABOUT POSSIBLE TRUMP INDICTMENT

The contributions were also uncommon for the pair, as they generally do not get financially involved with district attorney races, though they have donated to other New York political campaigns and issue groups. Jonathan Soros did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the Bragg donations.

George Soros, on the other hand, has targeted numerous prosecutor races with millions of dollars in recent years.

Soros' district attorney operation usually involves his longtime treasurer, Whitney Tymas, establishing "pop-up" political action committees in states where he targets the races. Once set up, the financier injects money into the PACs, which tend to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars backing his preferred candidates. The PACs typically dissolve after the elections. 

MANHATTAN DA ISSUES SCATHING RESPONSE TO GOP LETTER ON POSSIBLE TRUMP INDICTMENT: 'WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED'

In Bragg's case, this did not happen. Instead, Soros donated $1 million in May 2021 to the Color of Change PAC, which in the following weeks spent cash backing Bragg's candidacy. The timing of the money makes it likely it aided the efforts.

Soros' spokesperson, Michael Vachon, did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the matter by press time.

Soros has provided financial backing to dozens of far-left district attorney candidates, which he views as a significant component of overhauling the criminal justice system. Controversial DAs such as Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, Kim Foxx in Chicago, Kim Gardner in St. Louis, and George Gascón in Los Angeles have all received massive boosts from his money.

SOME DEMOCRATS FEAR ARRESTING TRUMP COULD BACKFIRE, QUESTION STRENGTH OF CHARGES

Bragg, meanwhile, is now at the center of a media firestorm after reports broke that he will likely indict Trump over alleged payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The Manhattan district attorney's office is in contact with the New York Police Department and Secret Service to coordinate the logistics surrounding Trump's potential arrest. 

The potential charges stem from an alleged $130,000 hush money payment then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen made to Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.

Federal prosecutors in the U.S. attorneys office for the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the Daniels payment in 2019, even as Cohen implicated him as part of his plea deal. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.

Data & News supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Stock quotes supplied by Barchart
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.
 
 
Photography by Christophe Tomatis
Copyright © 2010-2020 Pleasanton.com & California Media Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.