How much money have Soros-linked donors contributed to Mark Kelly since 2018?
Executive summary
Available reporting in the provided sources does not give a single, definitive tally labeled “Soros‑linked donors to Mark Kelly since 2018,” but OpenSecrets has detailed contribution records for Mark Kelly and for Soros‑linked entities that can be cross‑checked (OpenSecrets candidate and organization pages) [1] [2]. Individual articles and partisan releases cite specific figures (for example, an NRSC claim that “$17,400 from George and Alexander Soros” was part of a larger listing), but those claims are campaign‑opposition material and are not corroborated by an explicit aggregated OpenSecrets total in the supplied excerpts [3].
1. What the public databases linked in reporting actually show
OpenSecrets maintains detailed pages for Mark Kelly’s campaign receipts and for Soros Fund Management recipients; those are the primary public sources listed here for tracing donations to Kelly and donations from Soros‑affiliated donors [1] [2]. OpenSecrets’s “Campaign Finance Summary” and donor/recipient pages are where researchers typically add up contributions by donor or by organization; the snippets in the results emphasize that their data are based on FEC filings and list donations of $200+ from PACs and individuals [1] [2].
2. Specific numbers cited in media and opposition releases — and limits to those numbers
A conservative outlet, the Washington Free Beacon, reported that Kelly’s campaign “took $350K from a Soros‑backed defund group,” referencing an organization called Living United that it says has received Soros funding; that is an instance where a publication attributes a dollar figure to a Soros‑linked source but does not present an OpenSecrets aggregate total for “Soros‑linked donors to Kelly” [4]. Separately, a National Republican Senatorial Committee release quoted a figure of “$17,400 from George and Alexander Soros” among larger corporate executive contributions — that is a partisan claim in opposition material, not an OpenSecrets aggregate in the provided snippets [3]. These numbers illustrate how different outlets select different pieces of data; they do not amount to a single consolidated accounting in the provided sources [4] [3].
3. Why a single “Soros‑linked” total is hard to produce from available excerpts
“Soros‑linked” is a contested label: it can mean direct contributions from Soros or his fund, donations from organizations that have received Soros philanthropy, or contributions from individuals who work for or are associated with Soros-funded groups. OpenSecrets separates contributions by filer (e.g., Soros Fund Management) and by recipients; it also notes methodology limits like counting donations of $200+ and PAC vs. individual contributions [2] [1]. The Free Beacon’s and NRSC’s usages show two different definitions being used in political messaging — a reason why the provided material does not present one agreed‑upon sum [4] [3].
4. How a researcher could get a more precise answer (using the cited tools)
To build an authoritative total you would: (a) use OpenSecrets’ Mark Kelly contributor pages to export all contributors since 2018, (b) consult OpenSecrets’ Soros Fund Management recipients and related entity pages to identify direct Soros Fund or Soros‑family contributions, and (c) decide an operational definition of “Soros‑linked” (direct contributions only vs. organizations previously funded by Soros philanthropies) and then sum matching entries. The OpenSecrets pages named in the search results are the exact starting points for that process [1] [2].
5. Competing narratives and potential agendas in the available reporting
Right‑of‑center opposition material (NRSC) used concrete dollar figures to make an ethics and hypocrisy argument about Kelly accepting corporate or wealthy donors, singling out “$17,400 from George and Alexander Soros” as an item of interest [3]. The Free Beacon framed a seven‑figure impression of influence by citing $350K from a Soros‑backed group to suggest inconsistency with Kelly’s rhetoric [4]. OpenSecrets’ pages, by contrast, present raw FEC‑derived data [1] [2]. Those differences show political actors often select or frame donation figures to support narratives — readers should treat partisan press releases and opinion pieces as advocacy unless independently cross‑checked with the FEC/OpenSecrets raw records [3] [4] [1].
6. Bottom line and recommended next steps
Available sources in this dataset do not provide a single, verified dollar total labeled “Soros‑linked donors to Mark Kelly since 2018.” For a rigorous answer, consult the OpenSecrets Mark Kelly contribution pages and Soros Fund Management recipients page and define precisely which donors count as “Soros‑linked” before summing [1] [2]. If you want, I can (a) walk step‑by‑step through how to pull and sum the OpenSecrets records, or (b) produce a draft list of candidate donors that the provided sources flag as Soros‑related for manual verification.