Soros says he did not fund Manhattan DA Bragg and accuses the right of spreading conspiracy theories

Billionaire philanthropist George Soros responded Friday to wild conspiracy theories that his money is funding the Manhattan prosecution of Donald Trump, saying he had never contributed to Alvin Bragg’s election campaign.

Soros, who made his fortune in hedge funds and is now known as a pro-democracy activist, has become a hate figure for Trump and his allies.

He has been repeatedly accused of financing Bragg, who has been investigating a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

But on Thursday, the 92-year-old responded by denying any involvement.

Although he said he had donated to reformist prosecutors, he told the traffic light news website: ‘As for Alvin Bragg, I actually did not contribute to his campaign and I don’t know him.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s landmark indictment of Donald Trump could hinge on an unproven legal theory, posing dangers for prosecutors as they seek a conviction.

“I think some on the right would rather focus on wild conspiracy theories than serious charges against the former president.”

Trump is due to appear in court Tuesday after a Manhattan grand jury voted Thursday to indict him.

Bragg persevered in his investigation despite the fact that federal prosecutors chose not to pursue Trump for what he allegedly amounted to an illegal campaign contribution.

Instead, Bragg is believed to be examining whether the payment was mislabeled as a business expense, a misdemeanor under New York state law.

Trump seized on the apparent Soros connection and echoed previous criticisms.

“Manhattan DA Alvin Braff, who was selected and financed by George Soros, is a disgrace,” he said after news of the indictment broke.

His office is not funded by Soros, although his campaign to become district attorney received $1 million from the Color Of Change Political Action Committee, a racial justice group backed by the Hungarian-born billionaire financier.

Soros is a favorite target of conservatives. Since the January 6 attack on Congress, he has used his vast wealth to back candidates he says promote democracy and the rule of law.

Trump accused Bragg of being financed by Soros in a statement on Thursday, echoing a frequent claim made by the former president and his supporters.

But extremists in the far reaches of the Internet have seized on his family history to suggest that he is part of a Jewish conspiracy that secretly controls the levers of power.

In a 2018 report, the Anti-Defamation League said: “In far-right circles around the world, Soros’s philanthropy is often recast as fodder for outsized conspiracy theories, including claims that he masterminds plots specific global or manipulates particular events to further its goals”.

“Many of those conspiracy theories employ longstanding anti-Semitic myths, particularly the notion that rich and powerful Jews work behind the scenes, plotting to control countries and manipulate global events.”

In his exchange with Semafor, Soros advised people to read a 2022 article he wrote for the Wall Street Journal explaining why he had funded tax reformers.

He said the investigation suggested that recent increases in crime were due to a rise in mental illness among young people due to isolation imposed by Covid lockdowns, a reduction in policing of criminal justice reform protests and increases in arms trafficking.

“This is why I have supported the election (and more recently the re-election) of pro-reform prosecutors,” he wrote in the opinion piece. I have done it transparently and I have no intention of stopping.

“The funds I provide allow sensible, reform-minded candidates to be heard by the public.”