James and Kathryn Murdoch become some of biggest anti-Trump donors

Discussion in 'Politics' started by themickey, Sep 9, 2020.

  1. themickey

    themickey

    https://www.afr.com/world/north-ame...-of-biggest-anti-trump-donors-20200910-p55u4b

    Jacob GreberUnited States correspondent Sep 10, 2020 – 7.17am

    Washington | James Murdoch and his wife, Kathryn, have been busy deploying some of their proceeds from last year's $US71 billion ($97 billion) Disney-Fox merger, turning themselves into one of America's largest and most aggressively anti-Trump political donors in 2020.

    Mr Murdoch, who resigned from the News Corp board of directors in July over "disagreements" about the publisher's editorial content, ranks 13th among among 100 mega contributors for the current election cycle, according to data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

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    James Murdoch resigned from the company board his brother, Lachlan, leads, in July. Getty

    The couple have donated more than $US11 million to various political causes, including $US2.57 million directly to Democrats.

    Targets for their donations include democracy reform, Donald Trump's dismissive attitude towards climate change, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his opposition to greater mail-in voting, according to Kathryn Murdoch.

    “I think it is disappointing that the administration is relying on feelings about things, gut instincts, rather than on data and science,” she told CNBC in remarks published on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

    She called Mr Trump's resistance to greater postal voting a "real missed opportunity from the White House".

    "I think they are going to end up harming their own voters because lots of rural people are well served by the postal service and that’s an example of those feelings getting in the way of data and the science."

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    Kathryn Murdoch. Bloomberg

    She noted Joe Biden's professed reliance on science and data as among reasons she and her husband are supporting the former vice president's campaign, the business news company reported.

    The couple gave more than $US1.2 million to the Biden Victory Fund, a fundraising vehicle between Mr Biden's campaign and the Democratic National Committee, federal records show.

    The surge in donations follows the couple's decision to create a foundation, Quadrivium, which Ms Murdoch told CNBC conducted a study last year into where best to direct financial resources in the fight against Washington's gridlock.

    That produced initiatives on boosting voter participation and fighting climate change.

    Ms Murdoch, via Quadrivium, has also backed an organisation led by Republican Bill Kristol, a former Reagan administration official and now staunch critic of Mr Trump.

    According to the Center for Responsive Politics' data, the couple have donated more this cycle than other famous megadonors, including George Soros.

    CNBC said one of the biggest cheques Mr Murdoch has written so far includes $US615,000 to the Biden Victory Fund. He also gave a small cheque to Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign.

    A further $US250,000 was paid to Change Now, a so-called super political action committee that is targeting Mr Trump, and $US60,000 to Black PAC, a super PAC, or political action commitee, that focuses on mobilising black voters.
     
    wrbtrader likes this.
  2. wrbtrader

    wrbtrader

    Isn't there a public website that list all the donors / dollar amount to a U.S. Presidential campaign ???

    I came across one back in 2012 but can not remember the name. Off the top of my head...I want to say it was Newsweek.

    wrbtrader
     
  3. elderado

    elderado