NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Stacey Abrams’ second gubernatorial bid in Georgia is enjoying massive donations from Democratic mega donors outside the state like billionaire George Soros and Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, filings reviewed by Fox News Digital shows.
One Georgia Inc., an Abrams-associated leadership committee that is able to collect unlimited donations under new Georgia law, filed its contribution disclosure report with the state Friday afternoon, showing that wealthy progressives from across the country are pouring money into Abrams’ second attempt to unseat Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
A small group of Democratic mega donors and Hollywood celebrities alone donated more than $8.4 million to Abrams’ leadership committee.
Soros’ Democracy PAC II sent $1 million to the committee on March 11 and another $1.5 million on June 23 for a total of $2.5 million, according to the report. Karla Jurvetson, a longtime-progressive activist and donor, similarly donated a total of $2.5 million. Donald Sussman, a billionaire hedge fund manager, gave $1 million to the committee.
GEORGE SOROS THROWS $1M BEHIND STACEY ABRAMS’ SECOND GUBERNATORIAL RUN
Stacey Abrams, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, speaks during a news conference in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
(Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Other major donors included LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who donated $400,000, and Melinda Gates, who donated $200,000. Fox News Digital reported last year that Soros and Hoffman were the top two financial backers of a new media company run by a longtime Democratic operative to fight “disinformation.”
Smaller but sizable donations came from Spielberg and his wife, Katie Capshaw, who each donated $50,000 to the committee on June 13, and fellow director JJ Abrams, who also donated $50,000.
Ed Helms, Leonardo DiCaprio and Chuck Lorre each donated $25,000 to the committee, while Bryan Cranston, Lance Bass, and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel each donated $10,000. Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson donated a total of $5,500, and Barbra Streisand donated $1,500.
BRIAN KEMP BLASTS STACEY ABRAMS AFTER PRIVATE SECURITY SPENDING REVEALED
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to the media during a press conference at the Israel Baptist Church as voters head to the polls during the Georgia primary on May 24, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Friday’s filing comes after a federal judge ruled in April that One Georgia Inc. had to suspend activities until she locked up the Democratic nomination in May, in which she ran unopposed.
Abrams announced earlier Friday that her campaign and One Georgia Inc. raised $21.8 million during the two months ending on June 30 and together had $18.5 million in cash on hand.
That is far more than the combined $6.8 million Kemp raised for his campaign and associated Georgians First committee. Kemp said he had $6.4 million in cash as of June 30.
“Since our campaign’s launch, more than 240,000 grassroots donors have contributed, with a number of donations coming from Georgians in every corner of the state,” Abrams campaign communications director Michael Holloman told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We are grateful for those who are committed to investing in leadership that will lower the cost of health care by expanding Medicaid, invest in our students and teachers, and prioritize public safety and criminal justice reform to keep our communities safe.
“Unlike Brian Kemp, who is using our state’s surplus to give handouts to millionaires, Stacey Abrams is committed to building One Georgia — where all Georgians will have the opportunity to thrive no matter their background, zip code or access to power,” he added.
Georgia governor Brian Kemp’s campaign told Fox News Digital they expect Abrams
(Photo by LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
Kemp’s campaign said in a statement to Fox News Digital that it expects Abrams to continue to outraise the governor due to donations coming from outside of Georgia.
“Far-left radicals from across the country are bankrolling Stacey Abrams’ campaign to bring the failed agenda of D.C. Democrats to Georgia,” campaign spokesman Tate Mitchell said. “Abrams and her liberal allies can – and will – continue to outraise and outspend our campaign, but we will continue to run on Governor Kemp’s record of putting Georgians first and securing historic economic success for our state.”
Donors to Kemp’s leadership committee Georgians First included mostly Georgia-based groups, the largest coming from his own campaign, Kemp For Governor, Inc., which donated $1.37 million, and Hardworking Georgians Inc., a PAC supporting Kemp that donated $500,000 in June, according to the campaign contribution disclosure report filed Friday.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Other major donors included Georgia Crown Distributing President Donald Leebern, Apex Management Solutions President and former Georgia resident Jon Cotton, and Georgia-based amusement machine supplier Lucky Bucks LLC, who each donated $100,000 to Kemp’s committee.
Other notable donors included Waffle House, based in Norcross, and Jim Kennedy, longtime chairman of the Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, who each donated $25,000 to the committee.
Fox News Digital’s Joe Schoffstall and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
