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A group aimed at overhauling California’s criminal justice system that’s bankrolled by a handful of wealthy donors, including Patty Quillin, the wife of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, has poured six figures into efforts to save liberal San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin from his recall election.
The Smart Justice California Action Fund, an alliance of left-wing donors targeting criminal justice-related initiatives that also backs progressive politicians in the state, poured $115,000 into Boudin’s committee on May 10 to help the controversial DA stave off the recall effort, San Francisco filings show.
The coalition of left-wing donors hopes to keep Boudin in office as critics attempt to oust him in the June 7 recall over what they say is his lack of criminal enforcement and failure to make San Francisco safe.
Chesa Boudin is San Francisco’s far-left district attorney.
(Yalonda M. James/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Smart Justice, which is also working to boost California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the Golden State’s far-left top prosecutor, has been funded primarily by Quillin, who pushed $1 million into the committee on March 16, state filings show.
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Smart Justice has also received generous six-figure contributions this year from Elizabeth Simons, daughter of hedge fund billionaire James Simons, who provided a $500,000 donation. Kaitlyn Krieger, the wife of Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger and the president of the Future Justice Fund, a San Francisco-based criminal justice reform grant-making organization, added $225,000. Director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have contributed $35,000 to the fund, records show.
Chesa Boudin has faced scrutiny for his soft-on-crime policies as San Francisco district attorney.
(Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Quillin has quietly emerged as a major financier of overhauling the criminal justice system and electing far-left prosecutors. She and her Netflix CEO husband combined to pour $2.1 million in funds backing contentious Los Angeles DA George Gasc?n in 2020. Quillin was the second-largest financial backer of Gasc?n that election, eclipsed only by George Soros’ $2.25 million in support.
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Boudin is also receiving significant help from other progressive activists.
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin faces a tough recall battle.
( AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
The Real Justice PAC, a group co-founded by Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King, is operating a committee alongside Boudin’s called San Franciscans Against the Recall of Chesa Boudin PAC, which the Real Justice PAC sponsors. The PAC also sponsors the Stand With Chesa website, which has worked to gather volunteers and garner support for the embattled prosecutor.
King and others associated with Real Justice have a vested interest in Boudin through a separate and little-known group called the Grassroots Law Project, Fox News Digital previously reported.
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The Grassroots Law Project, co-created by King, houses a criminal justice campaign that launched a three-city pilot commission to “address decades of harm caused by law enforcement and prosecutorial overreach,” which includes Boudin. Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner and Boston-area DA Rachel Rollins also joined the commission.
The Smart Justice California Action Fund did not respond to Fox News’ inquiries on its efforts and donors.
