Who is George Soros? Billionaire accused of allegedly helping Manhattan DA Alvin Braggs indict Donald Trump 

(image via Ronald Zak/The Associated Press)
Soros denied any involvement in the indictment of Donald Trump (Image via Ronald Zak/The Associated Press)

On Thursday, George Soros was accused of illegally helping Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs indict former US President Donald Trump.

According to BBC, the indictment relates to hush money that Trump paid adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels in 2016, when he tried to cover up an extramarital affair with her prior to the 2016 Presidential elections. While this is not strictly illegal, Donald Trump has been accused of documenting the money as legal fees, which is a crime.

According to Republican politicians such Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, the indictment is a politically motivated move backed by 92-year-old billionaire investor George Soros. He claimed that Soros funded the case in order to hurt Donald Trump's chances at running for the next Presidential election.

George Soros' spokesperson, Michael Vachon, denied that the billionaire was involved in the indictment in any capacity.


George Soros studied at the London School of Economics

According to The Wall Street Journal, George Soros is a Hungarian-American philanthropist with a net worth of $8.6 billion. Born in Budapest, Soros was a Jewish teen who survived Nazi occupation in Hungary during WW2. He eventually relocated to London, where he obtained a Masters of Science degree in Philosophy at the London School of Economics.

In 1956, George Soros moved to New York City, where he became an arbitrage trader. Over several years, a series of successful investments led him to founding Soros Fund Management in 1970. Over the next few decades, he became a highly influential philanthropist, donating more than $32 billion to various causes. Forbes noted that this amount was 64% of his original fortune.


Soros' spokesperson denied the allegations

In response to the allegations against George Soros by Trump and other Republicans, his spokesperson noted that he has never had any contact with Alvin Bragg.

As per the Associated Press, Soros has donated money to prosecutors over the years. However, the money is not directly linked to the indictment of Donald Trump. He said that Soros has backed 'reform-minded' prosecutors who seek to decriminalize drugs, as well as those who support mental health programs.

Jerry Goldfeder, a New York campaign finance expert, said that donors like Soros have no control over how the funds they contribute are used.

Goldfeder said:

“There’s no connection between the original contributor and the ultimate beneficiary the PAC has chosen to support."

In a statement made on Rumble, Trump Jr. said that Soros is supporting Alvin Bragg in order to remove his father from the political sphere.

He said:

"Soros-backed Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is actually indicting my father. This is communist-level (...) This is stuff that would make Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot — it would make them blush. It's so flagrant. It's so crazed."

Donald Trump is also being investigated for his alleged involvement in the January 6, Capitol Hill attack.

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Edited by Rhythm Bhatia