George Soros refuses to accept responsibility for crime waves in cities controlled by Democrats

On July 31, billionaire and leftwing philanthropist George Soros penned an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal wherein he defended his support for “reform prosecutors.” In the piece, he rejected the suggestion that the liberal district attorneys, prosecutors, and politicians he has financially backed — along with their unifying agenda — are responsible for the recent increase in crime.

Soros' defense comes in response to criticism by "politicians and pundits," but likely also to the recent June 2022 report issued by the non-profit Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF).

The LELDF report detailed the impact made by the 75 Soros-backed "social justice prosecutors" who now represent "1 in 5 Americans or more than 72 million people," alleging that "in 2021, more than 40% (9,000+) of the approximately 22,500 homicides in the US occurred in areas overseen by these DAs." It further alleged that "these prosecutors' charging and plea deal decisions, sentencing recommendations, and trial strategies" have been a major part of the perpetuation of and rise in crime in the cities they oversee.

Confronted with such claims about the fallout that his investments have produced, Soros suggested that the agenda advanced by the “reform-minded prosecutors and other law-enforcement officials” whom he financially backs is both “popular” and “effective.”

The increasing crime rates in Democrat-controlled cities are to blame, argues Soros, on “a disturbing rise in mental illness among young people ... a pullback in policing in the wake of public criminal justice reform protests, and increases in gun trafficking.”

Among the “reform-minded” individuals supported by Soros are:

• L.A. District Attorney George Gascon, given $4.7 million for his election campaign in 2020 via Soros' California Justice and Safety PAC;
• Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, given $1.3 million via Soros' Color of Change;
• Cook County, Illinois state's attorney Kim Foxx, who received $2 million for her campaign in 2020 and $708,000;
• Baltimore state's attorney Marilyn Mosby; and
• Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who allegedly received $1,070,000 in 2021 through two of Soros' PACs.

Jesse Kelly joined former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in rejecting Soros' rationalizations.

According to Open Secrets, George Soros, whose worth has been estimated by Forbes to be $8.6 billion, is the “top individual super PAC donor for the 2022 midterm election,” having contributed “$126 million of the $155 million angel donors have given to liberal super PACs so far this election cycle.”