Do FEC records list contributions from George Soros or Soros-backed PACs to Mark Kelly's campaigns?
Executive summary
FEC-derived public databases and watchdog sites show George Soros and Soros-related entities have given large sums to Democratic causes and to super PACs in past cycles, and OpenSecrets’ donor tools draw on FEC data to list Soros contributions (e.g., donor downloads dated Feb. 6, 2025) [1]. Available sources in your search set do not provide a direct FEC filing that lists a line-item “George Soros” contribution to Mark Kelly’s campaign, though campaign‑finance aggregators like OpenSecrets publish searchable donor detail and recipient pages built from FEC records that can be used to check this [2] [1] [3].
1. What the FEC records and aggregators actually track
The Federal Election Commission requires campaigns and many outside groups to file itemized reports; OpenSecrets and similar organizations download and repackage that FEC data into donor‑lookup and recipient pages (OpenSecrets notes its federal individual contributions file was downloaded Feb. 6, 2025) [1] [2]. OpenSecrets’ profiles for candidates (including Mark Kelly) say their summary totals are based on FEC filings and their detailed pages are “derived from contribution records disclosed in campaign finance reports” [2]. That means if a contribution from George Soros to Mark Kelly were in FEC itemized reports, these third‑party tools would typically surface it [2] [1].
2. What the supplied reporting shows about Soros money generally
Multiple pieces in your results document that George Soros is an active, often large donor to Democratic super PACs and outside groups. Historical FEC records cited by Politico and OpenSecrets show Soros made multimillion‑dollar donations to super PACs and party committees in past cycles (examples in 2016 and 2022 reporting) [4] [5]. OpenSecrets maintains donor and organization pages (Soros Fund Management profile and recipient tables) that trace where Soros‑associated dollars flowed, including to super PACs and outside spending groups [6] [3] [7].
3. Claims specifically about Soros (or “Soros‑backed PACs”) giving to Mark Kelly
Search results include partisan claims and press releases asserting Soros (and Alexander Soros) gave personal contributions of specific amounts, such as a Republican committee release claiming “$17,400 from George and Alexander Soros,” but that release is a NRSC attack line, not an FEC filing; the underlying FEC itemization is not linked in the result set [8]. OpenSecrets’ candidate contributor pages and donor‑lookup are the appropriate places to confirm whether a named individual appears as an itemized donor to Mark Kelly; those tools are derived from FEC data [1] [3]. However, among the provided search results there is no direct FEC report or OpenSecrets donor detail screenshot that proves or disproves a Soros contribution to Mark Kelly’s campaign specifically — the sources either describe methodology or make broader claims about Soros giving to super PACs and Democrats [2] [1] [3] [5].
4. How to verify the specific claim using available public records
The research path implied by these sources is straightforward: query the FEC’s Electronic Filing system or OpenSecrets’ donor lookup for “George Soros” and for the recipient “Mark Kelly” (OpenSecrets collects FEC individual contribution downloads noted Feb. 6, 2025) [1] [2]. OpenSecrets’ recipient and donor pages and the Soros Fund Management recipient tables are built from FEC disclosures and are the tools that would list any itemized Soros donation to Kelly or identify Soros‑backed PAC transfers that benefited Kelly [1] [3] [7]. The search results provided document these tools exist but do not include a direct extract showing Soros giving to Kelly [1] [3].
5. Alternative viewpoints and limits of the public record
Watchdogs and news outlets emphasize that Soros often gives to super PACs and outside groups rather than directly to candidate committees — and super PAC spending is separate from candidate treasuries and may show up on FEC outside‑spending filings rather than candidate contribution lists [5] [6]. OpenSecrets and the Brennan Center note that “dark money” and outside spending complicate the picture because much of it is not itemized in candidate reports and some outside ads are not fully reported to the FEC [6] [9]. Thus, even if Kelly benefited electorally from groups that received Soros funding, that is not the same as a direct, itemized Soros contribution to Kelly’s campaign [5] [9].
6. Bottom line and next steps for verification
Your current search set establishes that: (a) Soros is a major donor to Democratic causes and super PACs [5] [4]; (b) OpenSecrets and the FEC are the canonical sources to check individual itemized contributions [1] [2]. But the materials you provided do not include a specific FEC filing or OpenSecrets donor entry showing a direct Soros (or Soros‑backed PAC) line‑item contribution to Mark Kelly. To settle the question conclusively, consult the FEC’s candidate contribution records or OpenSecrets’ donor lookup for “George Soros” + “Mark Kelly” and cite the exact itemized filing (not found in current reporting supplied here) [1] [2].