Harris’s Campaign Backed By Donors With Anti-Police History

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign is leaning on her “law and order” credentials, yet many of her top donors have a history of supporting anti-police initiatives. Harris’s advisors plan to highlight her background as a district attorney and attorney general, according to CNN. However, this contrasts sharply with the record of her financial backers.

George Soros and his son Alex, who have endorsed Harris, are key figures in efforts to reform the criminal justice system by supporting more lenient prosecutors. Soros’s network has poured millions into anti-police groups, including those aligned with Black Lives Matter. The Open Society Foundations, which Soros founded and Alex now leads, donated tens of millions in 2021 to organizations advocating for defunding the police.

Prominent prosecutors supported by Soros have faced public backlash. Chesa Boudin, the former San Francisco District Attorney, was recalled in 2022 after being criticized for not prosecuting various crimes and for releasing repeat offenders. George Gascon, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, also backed by Soros, is up for a tough re-election amid criticism of his handling of crime.

Other significant Harris supporters include Quinn Delaney and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings. Delaney and Hastings have previously backed Boudin and Gascon. Hastings gave $7 million to a pro-Harris PAC, while Delaney contributed $1 million to a similar PAC.

In 2020, Harris praised the defund the police movement, stating it was about “reimagining how we do public safety in America.” She also supported Los Angeles’s decision to cut its police budget by $150 million.

Karla Jurvetson, another wealthy Californian supporting Harris, has been described as a major funder of left-wing politicians advocating for defunding the police. Andrea Dew-Steele, a personal friend of Harris and founder of Emerge America, has been preparing for Harris’s campaign and has supported several liberal prosecutors with the backing of Soros’s network.

Brian Fallon, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, tweeted “defund the police” in June 2020, reflecting the campaign’s ties to the movement. Despite positioning Harris as a tough-on-crime candidate, her campaign faces scrutiny over the backgrounds of its financial backers.