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Have any members of the Murdoch family publicly endorsed or donated to Democratic candidates?
Executive summary
Public records and reporting show multiple Murdoch family members — most prominently James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn — have publicly donated to Democratic candidates and Democratic-aligned causes, including reported donations of hundreds of thousands up to millions to Biden-era efforts and other Democratic groups [1] [2] [3]. Other Murrochs’ political giving is mixed: Rupert Murdoch has a history of large donations to Republican causes while some family members and spouses have given to Democrats [4] [5].
1. James and Kathryn Murdoch: the clearest Democratic backers inside the clan
Reporting repeatedly identifies James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn as major donors to Democratic and progressive causes: Bloomberg reported Kathryn (James’s wife) made a $1 million contribution to Democratic efforts to win the Senate in 2022 and the couple gave large sums to Biden-related efforts [1]. CNBC, The Hill and OpenSecrets-focused pieces say James and Kathryn spent heavily in the 2020 cycle — roughly $100 million into their foundation with a substantial part going to Democratic-leaning groups and over $20 million to Biden’s 2020 campaign and allied groups, per CNBC and The Hill [2] [6]. OpenSecrets coverage similarly documents the pair’s donations to Democratic and anti‑Trump super PACs [3].
2. Specific donations and scale: big checks, super PACs, and foundations
Journalistic accounts cite concrete figures: Kathryn’s $1 million donation to Senate Democrats in 2022 [1]; the couple’s Quadrivium foundation investment of $100 million, of which tens of millions supported political causes including more than $20 million to Biden-related groups in 2020 [2] [6]; and earlier joint donations of $615,000 each to the Biden victory fund reported in 2020 [7] [8]. OpenSecrets reporting compiles those gifts and shows the Murdoch couple among top individual donors in recent cycles [3].
3. Other family members and spouses: mixed record and some Democratic gifts
Available reporting highlights that not all Murdochs align with Rupert Murdoch’s Republican-leaning profile. James’s political departures are most documented; other family members and spouses have given to Democrats in ways reported by the press, but the coverage is far sparser and often focuses on the James–Kathryn split from the family’s traditional alignment [9] [7]. The Daily Signal piece cites an unrelated probate commissioner’s Democratic donations but does not change which Murdoch family members have given to Democrats [10].
4. Rupert Murdoch and the broader family pattern: majority conservative corporate giving but internal dissent
Rupert Murdoch himself and corporate donations tied to his companies have a documented history of Republican support — for example, a million-dollar donation to the Republican Governors Association has been reported [4]. Multiple outlets emphasize a family split: News Corp/Fox’s corporate and editorial leanings contrast with James and Kathryn’s public funding of Democratic causes, creating a visible intra-family political divide [3] [4].
5. How sources characterize motives and agendas
Coverage portrays James and Kathryn’s giving as driven by policy disagreements (climate activism, opposition to Trump-era stances) rather than mere partisan allegiance; Kathryn’s climate work and statements are cited as part of their political choices [1] [2]. Conversely, Rupert Murdoch’s donations and corporate gifts are framed in the context of business and conservative political alignment [4]. Readers should note each outlet has its own editorial focus: OpenSecrets emphasizes donor tracking, Bloomberg/ CNBC provide donor-amount detail, and other outlets highlight political conflict inside the family [11] [1] [2] [3].
6. What reporting does not show or leaves unclear
Available sources do not comprehensively list every Murdoch family member’s donations; instead they concentrate on James, Kathryn, and Rupert, with less systematic data for siblings or more distant relatives (not found in current reporting). OpenSecrets has searchable federal contribution records that can be used for more granular, up-to-date confirmation of individual donations [11]. The Daily Signal’s piece about a probate commissioner’s partisan donations is about an official involved in a trust dispute and not proof about broader family political giving [10].
7. Bottom line for the question asked
Yes: multiple members and close family of the Murdoch household — most notably James Murdoch and his wife Kathryn — have publicly donated to Democratic candidates and Democratic-aligned groups, including high‑profile, large contributions that have been reported by Bloomberg, CNBC, The Hill and OpenSecrets [1] [2] [6] [3]. At the same time, Rupert Murdoch and corporate donations tied to his empire show Republican-oriented giving, producing a documented ideological split inside the family [4] [3].