Left-wing billionaire philanthropist George Soros authored a Sunday opinion in the Wall Street Journal, defending his extensive financial support of “reform-minded prosecutors.”
Soros wrote that “reform-minded prosecutors and other law-enforcement officials around the country have been coalescing around an agenda that promises to be more effective and just” than the status quo justice system. He asserted that his preferred agenda, which includes “decriminalization of poverty and mental illness” and a host of other left-wing initiatives, represents a superior alternative to tough-on-crime policies.
He argued that increases in crime rates in the short-term do not necessarily invalidate the long-term aims of his vision for justice reform. Soros pointed out that crime rates are rising in red states, but did not address the possibility that blue urban enclaves are driving the crime surge in states like Missouri. (RELATED: ‘It’s Madness’: An Analysis Of What Progressive Bail Reform Is Doing To American Cities)
Soros wrote that “[he has] no intention of stopping” his financial and logistical support of candidates who aim to fundamentally alter the nature of the American justice system.
Shocking video captured over the weekend in a Manhattan subway station shows youths brazenly brawling with NYPD officers. The male youth was recently arrested for illegal possession of a loaded gun & robbery, but was quickly released without bail. pic.twitter.com/IjUPZcivwi
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) July 25, 2022
Soros donated approximately $40 million to support the campaigns of left-wing prosecutors in cities across the U.S. between 2014 and 2021, according to the New York Post. His preferred candidates now occupy DA’s offices in 25 of the country’s 50 largest cities and counties, according to the same report. Soros uses political action committees to funnel millions of dollars into local elections and overwhelm the opponents of his preferred candidates, according to the same report.
Soros has assisted the electoral victories of Democratic prosecutors including Larry Krasner of Philadelphia, Kim Foxx of Chicago and Alvin Bragg of Manhattan. Although Soros insisted in his opinion that his reform agenda is “popular” and “effective” in the areas in which it has been realized, other prosecutors benefitting from his support have faced significant pushback from constituents. (RELATED: WEEKEND OF CARNAGE: Liberal Cities See Massive Spike In Murder, Violent Crime Over Holiday Weekend)
Constituents chose overwhelmingly to recall former San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin from office in a special June vote. Meanwhile, Los Angeles DA George Gascon faces his own potential recall vote later in 2022.