Billionaire George Soros and other big money donors flocked to Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries after he became the party’s top leader in the lower chamber.
Jeffries took over from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi in January after the California Democrat announced she was retiring from leadership. Pelosi led Democratic fundraising efforts for decades, and her access to cash was a primary reason she remained in the position for so long.
Those efforts now fall on Jeffries, whose victory fund pulled in a whopping $9 million from January through the end of March, Federal Election Commission filings show. During that span, the fund received more than four times the cash it hauled in throughout the entire 2022 election cycle.
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The massive cash spike came from several deep-pocketed donors, including Soros, who pushed $300,000 to the victory fund in early March. Other prominent financiers further padded his coffers.
Billionaire philanthropist Pat Stryker, who’s doled out millions to Democratic committees and causes over the years, added $300,000 to the fund. Robert Hale, the CEO of Granite Telecommunications, and philanthropist Barrie Landry gave $300,000 in donations.
Six-figure donations also flowed from more than two dozen others. Pelosi, meanwhile, has assisted Jeffries as he learns the ropes. Earlier this year, she introduced him to some of California’s chief liberal benefactors at San Diego and Los Angeles events.
“She’s been tremendous,“ Jeffries said in January. “And her advice, her guidance and her counsel has been invaluable.”
The wealthy supporters helped propel Jeffries past Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s identical fund during the same time. Records show the McCarthy Victory Fund raised nearly $4.7 million over the year’s first three months.
The Jeffries Victory Fund, meanwhile, is a joint fundraising committee that includes the New York Democrat’s campaign, leadership PAC, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
While big money donors pumped cash into the committee, it simultaneously transferred $8.8 million to its affiliated entities, including $7.5 million to the DCCC, nearly $900,000 to his campaign, and more than $450,000 to his leadership PAC, the filings show.
The fund, which appears to be operated by the DCCC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its donors.