George Soros Fires Back at Claims Linking Him to Trump Prosecutor Bragg: ‘I Did Not Contribute to His Campaign’

AP Photo/Ronald Zak

George Soros, the billionaire Democratic megadonor, has been the subject of feverish allegations connecting him to the indictment of former President Donald Trump by a Manhattan grand jury.

The district attorney bringing the case, Alvin Bragg, has been labeled a “Soros-backed prosecutor” by conservative media and Republican lawmakers who have long criticized the billionaire’s involvement in U.S. politics. Soros, who is Jewish, has also been the subject of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories regarding his influence.

In one post (of many) this month, Trump referred to Bragg, who is Black, as a “SOROS BACKED ANIMAL.” His lawyer later called that post “ill-advised” and it was deleted.

Soros has been mentioned at least 20 times on Fox News since news of the indictment broke Thursday night, according to a search of transcription service TVEyes.

Soros spoke out about those claims in comments to Semafor editor at large Steve Clemons, the morning after Trump’s indictment over his role in paying hush money to a porn star.

“Steve, I wrote this piece in the Wall Street Journal,” Soros replied, linking to his 2022 op-ed explaining his support for progressive criminal justice reform. “Anyone who wants to understand why I’ve donated to reform-minded prosecutors should read it.”

“As for Alvin Bragg, as a matter of fact I did not contribute to his campaign and I don’t know him,” he continued. “I think some on the right would rather focus on far-fetched conspiracy theories than on the serious charges against the former president.”

While Soros never directly backed Bragg, the New York Times reports he did donate $1 million to Color of Change, “a progressive criminal justice group that endorsed Mr. Bragg.”

The group proceeded to spend “a significant portion of the money to support Mr. Bragg in his 2021 campaign,” according to the Times.