The Document Leak You Didn’t Hear About
Here’s What You Need to Know
In the past two weeks, hundreds of internal documents were leaked from a network of organizations funded by a powerful billionaire that detailed how he had been using his money to influence European elections, back smear campaigns against ideological opponents, pressure the Obama administration to alter their foreign policy, support anti-Israel propaganda, and sway the U.S. Supreme Court. It seems like news of this magnitude should be garnering banner headlines around the world, and yet even active news junkies probably missed this one.
The leaked documents came from billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) and, despite the salacious nature of the contents, only the conservative website The Daily Caller appears to have actually covered the story. The documents reveal specific examples of Soros’ staggering web of international influence that pushes his brand of liberalism, including:
- A proposal to give the Center for American Politics $200,000 specifically to attack conservative activists.
- An October 2015 memo revealing OSF had donated $650,000 to “invest in technical assistance and support for the groups at the core of the bourgeoning #BlackLivesMatter movement.
- Coordinated efforts to pressure the Obama administration to increase the number of refugees the U.S. would accept to 100,000.
- A legal and media strategy to influence the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the U.S. v. Texas illegal immigration case.
- Ninety separate efforts throughout Europe organized specifically to influence the 2014 elections in various countries.
- $4 million contributed to anti-Israel groups with the stated goal of “challenging Israel’s racist and anti-democratic policies” and “questioning Israel’s reputation as a democracy.”
Those involved in business and advocacy would benefit from looking at this story to see just how well-funded, large-scale operations seeking to influence an agenda are able to organize seemingly disconnected activists and groups through manipulation and funding. Learning about their strategies and tactics can better inform your own strategies and tactics.
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News You Can Use
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Mark Your Calendars
Monday, September 26: First Presidential Debate, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY