Soros Foundation Given $30 Million by US Government

CNSNews.com ^ | April 25, 2005 | Jeff Johnson

[stevio]

(CNSNews.com) - The Open Society Institute, a private foundation controlled by liberal billionaire and political activist George Soros, received more than $30 million from U.S. government agencies between 1998 and 2003. Last year, Soros donated at least $20 million of his own money to such liberal groups as Moveon.org, in a failed attempt to block the re-election of President George W. Bush.

Tax records the Open Society Institute (OSI) is required to file with the Internal Revenue Service list "FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES" as "Contributors" of amounts between $4.6 million and $8.9 million over a six year period:

* 1998 - $4,611,617

* 2000 - $4,934,678

* 2001 - $5,869,809

* 2002 - $6,138,125

* 2003 - $8,889,802

The amounts total $30,454,031. Records from 1999 and 2004 were not immediately available.

Cybercast News Service asked OSI to provide a detailed list of its funding from U.S. government agencies, the records from 1999 and 2004 and an explanation of how the money has been spent. The foundation did not reply to multiple requests for the information.

In an online document entitled Building Donor Partnerships, OSI explains how its various subsidiaries, called "national foundations," can get funding and other support from the governments in their home nations:

* Public financing can be used to co-fund, expand or ensure sustainability of programs initiated by the national foundation.

* When a government cannot provide funds, it can allocate land, use of facilities, media time or staff to a donor partnership.

* Governments can waive or reduce taxes and duties for efforts of the Soros foundations.

* Governments can publicize the programs or requests of the national foundation through official channels, often at no charge.

OSI has apparently applied this strategy in the U.S., as well. The foundation received 1.4 to 4.4 percent of its annual contributions between 1998 and 2003 from American taxpayer funding. Various State Department documents indicate that OSI has been paid to run what the department describes as "democratization programs" in a number of countries.

"The Open Society Institute receives funding from the United States," a State Department press statement declared, "and has spent close to $22 million in Uzbekistan in order to help build a vibrant civil society."

Another report explained that "The United States also supports organizations, such as ... the Open Society Institute ... working inside and outside the (Burmese) region on a broad range of democracy promotion activities."

A State Department Fact Sheet also described "an HIV/AIDS prevention program carried out jointly with the Open Society Institute and Soros-Kazakhstan Foundation that targets high-risk populations" in Central Asia. The website of the U.S. Agency for International Development also lists numerous projects conducted in cooperation with OSI.

On the "About Us" page of its website, the Soros-controlled foundation explains that it exists "to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights and economic, legal and social reform."

Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), told Cybercast News Service that any seemingly positive activities Soros-controlled groups engage in should be kept in perspective.

"Congress should keep in mind that this is the same organization that supports numerous hard-left radical activities in the United States and abroad," Boehm said. "The Open Society Institute gave $20,000 to the defense fund for Lynne Stewart, (who was) accused of working with the terrorists who planned the original World Trade Center attack."

Boehm said the numerous left of center political activities supported by OSI include "drug legalization efforts, pro-abortion policies and numerous other controversial causes." OSI tax records show contributions of:

* $4.41 million to the American Civil Liberties Union and its state affiliates,

* $500,000 to the Pro-Choice Education Project to launch a (pro-abortion rights) "public education and media strategy,"

* $100,000 to the Death Penalty Information Center, an organization that works against capital punishment,

* $100,000 to Catholics for a Free Choice, a religious group that advocates for abortion rights,

* $100,000 to the Pennsylvania Coalition to Save Lives Now "to support needle exchange programs,"

* $80,000 over three years to the Gay Straight Alliance Network, to promote "a traveling photo documentary exhibit by lesbian, gay, transgender, queer and questioning youth,"

* $45,000 to the Democracy Matters Institute "to bring the campaign finance reform movement to college campuses,"

* $50,000 to the Coalition for an International Criminal Court "to promote education, awareness and acceptance of the International Criminal Court," and

* $35,000 to the Abortion Access Project.

Boehm also criticized taxpayer dollars going to the Soros-controlled entity, because of the overt, partisan political activities Soros supports.

"George Soros also has been the 'Daddy Warbucks' of numerous left-wing political campaigns in the past year," Boehm said.

As Cybercast News Service previously reported, Soros pledged millions of dollars from his own estimated $7 billion personal fortune to the failed efforts to derail President Bush's re-election bid through various tax-exempt political action committees such as MoveOn.org. Boehm described the expenditures as "the height of hypocrisy.

"Soros has bankrolled the groups that have lobbied for limits on political giving and for disclosure," Boehm said. "But he apparently believes that the law should only apply to other people, and not to himself."

Asked about the seemingly contradictory spending, Soros was unapologetic.

"I am not violating either the letter of the law or the spirit," he said before the 2004 election in an interview with Time magazine. "The letter, because the institutions that I'm supporting were there before I started supporting them, the spirit, because campaign-finance regulation has been designed to deny access to special interests, and by supporting these organizations, I gain no access."

On Jan. 18, 2005, NLPC filed a 41-page complaint against Soros with the Federal Election Commission. Boehm said at the time that Soros' multi-city, anti-Bush media tour was "possibly the largest off-the-books independent expenditure ever run."

"It's especially important that the FEC look at it, because it occurred the month before a very close election in key swing states," Boehm said. "Disclosure is the absolute heart of campaign finance law, and Soros' anti-Bush campaign could have potentially shifted the outcome of the presidential election."

Neither that allegation, nor any other formal complaint has accused Soros' Open Society Institute of using taxpayer funding to pay for anti-Bush political activities. Soros continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Regardless, Boehm believes the combination of Soros' left leaning ideology and partisan political involvement should make the federal government reconsider funding any organization he controls.

"It's hard to believe the State Department couldn't find a more credible organization to carry out these projects. There usually is not a shortage of non-governmental institutions seeking taxpayer money," Boehm concluded. "Selecting a group led by someone with such a strong political agenda, and which funds so many controversial ideological activities, is, well, short sighted."

Multiple calls to the State Department and United States Agency for International Development, which have both funded OSI, were not returned.

[Lion in Winter]

You know he also funds groups who want to legalise prostitution, LAMBDA activities and ALL illegal drugs, don't you.

He is the devil's own man-servant!!

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

If this outrage doesn't call for freeping our congresscritters, I don't know what does. We need to pile on, big time.

[Calpernia]

>>>almost half of Jersey went for the dumb, conservative cowboy, who is pro-life and pro-traditional family, and pro-military, a born again Christian.........who woulda' thought?

Actually, if you look at a county map. The only blue counties are where the voter fraud is.

>>>Check out the College Republicans, and other campus republican/conservative websites, not just in Jersey, for ideas and contacts..............check out your local republican group, your state republican organization

Thanks. I belong to the FR Network. I'm just consistantly asking other sources for thoughts and input. I never know where the next nugget of thought may come from.

>>>Jersey is moving towards the right, slowly, but it is moving....

Yes and no. Alot of the right is "moving". There has been some major downfalls that happened recently, in which, no matter what happens next election is going to leave us in dire straits. We have to move faster. Time is not on our side.

I just wish we had better blueprints laid out vs. editorials, phone calls, websites, article dissemination, protests, etc.

[BigBobCA]

I wonder if T. Boone Pickens managed to get any $$ from the government too? He is the one who pretty much financed the Swift Boat guys (along with a few bucks of my own).

I'll sleep a little better if we can find that the good guys are getting some of this too, and not just the likes of Soros.

[Calpernia]

He also funds human trafficking and sex tours (see Big apple sex tours in google)

[meatloaf]

If you go to www.guidestar.org, you can access the IRS 990 return for the Open Society Institute (OSI) or any non-profit. OSI's is a 320 page PDF document. At the same time they received $8,899,802 from the feds, Soros gave the Institute $191,819,959 worth of Jet Blue stock. It's interesting reading which also shows how much the five most highly compensated employees made.

[Lion in Winter]

BTTT

"If this outrage doesn't call for freeping our congresscritters, I don't know what does. We need to pile on, big time."

You are absolutely right!! I intend to do some congress-critter and White House freeping tommorrow!!

[Lion in Winter]

OH, gee Calpernia... I really do not want to google THAT site.... could you just give us a synopsis, please and thank you.

[MeekOneGOP]

You bet. :)

[Lion in Winter]

I believe that this information and all pertinent information about OPEN SOCIETY and super-liberal moneybagman, George Soros, deserves some type of "THE LATEST INFORMATION ABOUT..." attention.

With his activities against George W. Bush and now against DeLay and Bolton... this guy Soros DESERVES the SPOTLIGHT usually reserved for roaches caught in the kitchen at night!!

Thanks.

[Lion in Winter]

Thanks for the info.

[jer33 3]

www.capitalresearch.org also has some information on OSI. It is interesting to follow the links. Money just seems to continuously cycle through these organizations. CFR, Ford Foundation, Tides, Starr Foundation, Earth Watch, Nature Conservatory, etc.

[Liz]

Money is fungilble and this creep knows how to finesse it.

Guy is scary---- a sly fox who's good at the con games he plays-----seems to think he's above the law.

But he's made a huge mistake, plotting against Americans behind closed doors, tapping into our taxes, using them against us.

He will not get away with it.

[Grampa Dave]

Watermelons are the so called enviralists.

They are green on the outside and reds on the inside.

[MeekOneGOP]

..... this guy Soros DESERVES the SPOTLIGHT usually
reserved for roaches caught in the kitchen at night!!

Let the light shine BRIGHT! :)

[Lion in Winter]

And, of course.... all the roaches are RED!! LOL!! Great pic!!!!

[Lion in Winter]

"This tax-sucker Soros is an enemy of the US, particularly of conservatives, and conservative values."

He is that a whole lot more... he is the enemy of goodness in general.

Imagine the chaos of a world of his design. HORRORS!

[MeekOneGOP]

hehehehehehe!
Thanks. :)

[Lion in Winter]

Get the information out!! Read up on his nefarious schemes. Share with us on FR.

[Lion in Winter]

"Watermelons are the so called enviralists. They are green on the outside and reds on the inside."

I read a thread today about how they want to ban diapers... plastic and CLOTH.

So, not only are they Watermelons, they are also NUTTY!!

NOBODY is going to take MY DEPENDS!!

NO SIR!! NOBODY!!

LOL! ; ^ )