"Soros supports candidates through occasional direct contributions, but mainly through his Democracy PAC or to groups that support candidates with what are known as independent expenditures, according to Soros spokesman Michael Vachon. Independent expenditures are not coordinated with a campaign but work in support of one, such as through sending mailers or operating phone banks," reads Kessler's fact check. "Soros has a particular interest in funding efforts to overhaul the U.S. criminal justice system, such as treating drug addiction as a disease, not a crime, ending money bail, and reducing racial inequities in prison sentences." The Washington Post fact checker conceded the New York district attorney was the type of prosecutor favored by Soros, but said the billionaire "never made a contribution to Bragg."A Washington Post fact checker received a community note from Twitter after fact-checking a claim about New York district attorney Alvin Bragg.
The initial claim stems from former president Donald Trump, conservatives, and others critical of progressive politics suggesting prominent Democratic donor George Soros "hand picks" overwhelmingly progressive district attorneys seeking to radically overhaul the criminal justice system including Bragg.
"Republicans are being slippery here. Claiming Soros ‘funded’ Bragg is simply false, but many rely on the more ambiguous phrase of ‘backed,’ which is technically correct by several degrees of separation. But it’s still misleading and worthy of Three Pinocchios," Kessler wrote. "The incendiary focus on Soros raises more difficult questions. Given the tenuous connection between Soros and Bragg, it’s a dangerous game that plays into stereotypes of rich Jewish financiers secretly controlling events."Loading...
"Soros donated $1 million to the Color of Change PAC, the largest individual donation it received in the 2022 election cycle, days after it endorsed Bragg for district attorney and pledged more than $1 million in spending to support his candidacy," read Twitter's community note, citing a March 31 article from CNBC explaining Bragg's direct benefit from Soros' donation.
"Twitter trolls who posted a ‘community note’ to this tweet apparently have not read the actual fact check," Kessler pushed back in a follow-up post.
"Click the link and you will find that Color of Change did not spend $1 million in independent expenditures on Bragg, as people often claim."
Kessler's follow up post was in reference to a different tweet in which the Washington Post fact checker noted the Color of Change PAC had only spent about $420,000 out of the $1 million on behalf of Bragg.
He further cited the community note's article title, "Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's ties to billionaire George Soros are not as close as Republicans claim," as supporting his initial claim.
Twitter subsequently provided another community note for Kessler's follow-up post noting their original note did not claim the Color of Change PAC spent the money initially pledged.
"The original Community Note does not say that the Color of Change PAC spent the $1 million it originally pledged," reads the second community note, refuting Kessler's statement. "Soros donated $1 million to the PAC days after it endorsed Bragg and pledged more than $1 million in spending to support his candidacy."
"Only thing on fire are Kessler's pants," wrote Twitter owner Elon Musk.
