According to the Democratic candidate’s campaign finance report released Tuesday, left-wing billionaire George Soros has donated $1 million to Beto O’Rourke’s Texas gubernatorial campaign.
In a filing with the Texas Ethics Commission, Soros gave the money to O’Rourke’s campaign on June 23. Between late February and June, O’Rourke, who is running against Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in November, raised a state record $27.6 million in fundraising.
“Texas is the biggest puzzle piece the Democrats are missing to creating a permanent majority,” Matt Mackowiak, a Texas-based Republican strategist said, “It’s a sign that Soros’ viewpoint and his platform aligns with Beto. For him to make that kind of investment to a candidate is pretty significant.”
As a hedge fund manager who gained billions, Soros now uses a large portion of his wealth to support liberal causes through charity and individual donations. Soros has given more than $32 billion to Democrat groups and politicians since 1984.
Soros funds a wide range of “individuals and organizations across the globe fighting for freedom of expression, accountable government, and societies that promote justice and equality” through his Open Society Foundations division, whose advocacy branch awards funding to smaller activist groups.
Soros frequently backs organizations that call for weak immigration enforcement. Recently, the federal government awarded a $172 million contract to the Vera Institute of Justice, a Soros-supported group, to assist border crossers to avoid deportation. The institute will employ lawyers to defend unaccompanied youngsters who enter the country illegally using government funds.
Additionally, Soros is in favor of measures that would fundamentally alter the nation’s criminal justice system. In order to support the campaigns of progressive Democrat district attorney candidates around the nation, the millionaire has invested more than $30 million.
Numerous candidates funded by Soros advocate for measures to lessen “racial inequities” in the criminal justice system, including reducing fines for drug offenses and cutting financing to the police.