Are Riots and Crime the Result of George Soros’ ‘Quiet Overhaul of the U.S. Justice System’?

Four years ago, Politico reported on “George Soros’ quiet overhaul of the U.S. justice system,” as “the billionaire financier has channeled more than $3 million into seven local district-attorney campaigns in six states over the past year.” For local races, such huge amounts of money from an outside source were unprecedented.

Since 2015, Soros “spent more than $17 million on district attorney and other local races in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Arizona,” said the Capital Research Institute. Soros, who just turned 90, established state and national political action committees (PAC) to funnel money toward candidates. Each PAC is named with a variation of “Safety and Justice.”

Even before that, the Soros-backed Open Society Foundation donated $50 million to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to “end mass incarceration.” The grant was given to the ACLU’s “Smart Justice” program. Goals include increased parole and release of criminals, sentencing reform and prosecutorial reform.

What’s been the net result of that multi-faceted campaign to transform the American justice system? Many are arguing that cities with Soros-backed district attorneys have seen an increase in crime and murder. They’re also claiming that those elected with Soros-connected funds are fanning the flames of violent and destructive protests – by not prosecuting some protestors.

Last December, 2019, Attorney General William Barr told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum “There’s this recent development [where] George Soros has been coming in, in largely Democratic primaries where there has not been much voter turnout and putting in a lot of money to elect people who are not very supportive of law enforcement and don’t view the office as bringing to trial and prosecuting criminals but pursuing other social agendas.”

Barr said the election of Soros-backed candidates could lead to more crime, and that law enforcement officers would wonder whether the leadership in their municipality “has their back.”

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner was supported by the Soros-backed Safety and Justice Committee in 2016 with more than $190,000 in contributions and advertising. Gardner is the prosecutor charging Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who held weapons outside their home after hundreds of protestors broke into their gated property.

In a statement about the event, Gardner said, “I am alarmed at the events that occurred over the weekend, where peaceful protestors were met by guns and a violent assault. We must protect the right to peacefully protest, and any attempt to chill it through intimidation or threat of deadly force will not be tolerated.”

In June, a local station reported that “St. Louis police arrested 36 people during violent protests” and that “all were released without criminal charges.” This was the day after the fatal shooting of retired police Captain David Dorn during violent protests in the city.

Meanwhile, St. Louis was listed as the deadliest city in America, according to FBI statistics from 2018. The city surpassed cities like Detroit and Baltimore, with a murder rate of 60.9 per 100,000 people.

Gardner has defended her record, saying, “I’m a lifelong North City resident, I grew up in North City all my life. My family business has been around since 1932. It’s a funeral home business, so I understand the devastation of what violent crime does to the City of St. Louis.”

Philadelphia is another city with a district attorney backed by Soros. The Washington Times reports that District Attorney Larry Krasner won the 2017 election with the help of $1.7 million from the Pennsylvania Justice and Public Safety PAC. They also report that homicides had fallen “below 300 annually for four consecutive years through 2016,” but “have again shot up, rising by 34% in 2020 and hitting 257 as of Aug. 3.”

In an opinion piece, Philadelphia Magazine explained the results of Kramer’s election and subsequent justice reforms, “Gun-related violent crime is rising in Philadelphia. The police force is demoralized. Victims of crimes, their families, and advocacy groups feel betrayed.”

A group of retired police officers has raised $750,000 to defeat Krasner. But the District Attorney is unconcerned. He said, “We have seen this kind of effort in at least three cities recently, where progressive DAs have been reelected with solid margins of victory. I remain focused on my job and my reelection.”

St. Louis and Philadelphia aren’t alone. Money from George Soros-funded PACs and from his allies have helped elect district attorneys from California to Virginia and from Illinois to Texas, as the billionaire continues his overhaul of America’s criminal justice system.

Photo from Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

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