George Soros-backed ACLU investing in district attorney races as path to criminal justice reform

[TexasTowelie]

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union, backed by millions in funding from billionaire Democratic donor George Soros, is investing resources and applying organizational muscle in local district attorney races in 2018.

The ACLU is among a variety of organizations working to elect prosecutors willing to jumpstart a laundry list of criminal justice reforms, including an overhaul of the pretrial bail bond system. It received a $50 million grant from Soros’ Open Society Foundations in 2014.

Now, in this year’s elections, the organization is planning voter education and outreach campaigns in district attorney races in California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Vermont and possibly North Carolina and Missouri.

The group hasn’t determined which local races will be targeted, but it will focus on contests in big cities with large jail populations that feed the state prison system, said Taylor Pendergrass, senior campaign strategist for the ACLU’s Campaign for Smart Justice. More than 1,000 local prosecutors are up for election in November, according to the group.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article203622774.html

[mr_lebowski]

1. And many, many, many more million$ in funding from everyday Americans concerned with Civil Liberties

So they got 50M from a Soros foundation 3-4 years ago. Big Deal. There's many dozens of outfits funded by large donations from right-wing billionaires, many of them nowhere near as laudable and long-standing as the ACLU who's existed since well before Soros was a billionaire.

Quite frankly calling the ACLU 'Soros-backed' (in a headline no less) is a fucking joke.

Fuck you McClatchy.

[bdjhawk]

2. Before I looked at the link, I thought it would be from FAUX News

Always making anything Soros-backed seem so sinister all the while the Kochs are spending many multiples of Soros and the McClatchy's of the world don't seem to care.

[TexasTowelie]

4. I know that McClatchy has a conservative bias,

but they do bring forth issues that might not be in the public eye. It's fair to question their editorial bias, but I have some gratitude to them for helping me to be aware. Knowing what the topic allows for research and discussion in case I have a confrontation with conservatives about the topic.

[Hortensis]

6. Maybe leave off headline words aimed at rabid RW conspiracists,

and post the text of interest. And it is very interesting, thanks.

ACLU is also funded by my husband and me. We'd lapsed for a few years, but November 9, 2016, I signed us up for automatic monthly donations, figured they were going to be needed.

[Cha]

3. Mahalo, George Soros!!

Thanks, TT

[Gothmog]

5. The local DA is a key office

Soros donated to the Harris County DA race and our new DA, Kim Ogg has been wonderful

[Gothmog]

7. ACLU-The most powerful person in the criminal justice system isn't who you think it is.

Link to tweet

[Iggo]

8. Good.