George Soros' quiet overhaul of the U.S. justice system

[Skidmore]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/george-soros-criminal-justice-reform-227519

While America’s political kingmakers inject their millions into high-profile presidential and congressional contests, Democratic mega-donor George Soros has directed his wealth into an under-the-radar 2016 campaign to advance one of the progressive movement’s core goals — reshaping the American justice system.

The billionaire financier has channeled more than $3 million into seven local district attorney campaigns in six states over the past year — a sum that exceeds the total spent on the 2016 presidential campaign by all but a handful of rival super-donors.

His money has supported African-American and Hispanic candidates for these powerful local roles, all of whom ran on platforms sharing major goals of Soros’, like reducing racial disparities in sentencing and directing some drug offenders to diversion programs instead of to trial. It is by far the most tangible action in a progressive push to find, prepare and finance criminal justice reform-oriented candidates for jobs that have been held by long-time incumbents and serve as pipelines to the federal courts — and it has inspired fury among opponents angry about the outside influence in local elections.

“The prosecutor exercises the greatest discretion and power in the system. It is so important,” said Andrea Dew Steele, the president of Emerge America, a candidate-training organization for Democratic women. “There’s been a confluence of events in the past couple years and all of the sudden, the progressive community is waking up to this.”...more

[Demsrule86]

1. Good for him. We need that for sure. nt.

[progressoid]

2. Man, conservatives really hate Soros.

Cuz he's undoing the shit their millionaires did.

[democrattotheend]

3. I don't think judges and prosecutors should be elected

But since they are in many states, I am glad Soros is devoting resources to it, since they are not usually the sexy races that most people other than the players in the system (law firms, corporations with pending cases, etc) pay attention to.

[DVRacer]

4. Not sure I like this

I don't like the idea of big money from outside deciding local elections. I don't care who is doing it Soros or Koch. Maybe I am just in a mood, I read it thinking would I be ok if it was the Koch bros doing this? I sure and the hell wouldn't. Big money from outside the area is wrong to me. Guess I'm thinking of the crap in Wisconsin all over again.

[Skidmore]

5. I'm fine with it

in this election. We need to hold and move forward and, no matter how much some of us squeeze out of our budgets each month, there are so many offices that have real impact which must be turned around. If we have a wealthy contributor or two who want to give, back it is their right. We just need to GOTV.

[uponit7771]

7. I agree but there's no need to go into a tank battle riding a bike, beat them bad then change the...

... rules for the best.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. $3m "exceeds the total spent on the 2016 presidential campaign by all but a handful of rival ...

... super-donors"? Really? I thought $3 million is far smaller than the amount spent in the presidential campaign.