George Soros pushes $1 million to Wisconsin Democrats ahead of pivotal state Supreme Court election
Soros' donation is among the Wisconsin Democratic Party's largest in recent months
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Left-wing financier George Soros dropped $1 million into Wisconsin to help Democrats ahead of the state's upcoming elections with 2024 consequences, new filings show.
According to Wisconsin campaign finance records released Monday, Soros donated $1 million to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on February 22. The billionaire's donation was the largest to the party between February 7 and March 20, alongside Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B Pritzker, who also gave $1 million.
Soros and Pritzker's cash accounted for roughly 30 percent of the $6.6 million in individual contributions the Wisconsin Democratic Party raised during that time. A handful of other major liberal donors - including Karla Jurvetson and Fred Eychaner - added hundreds of thousands of dollars.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT VOTES AGAINST ABSENTEE BALLOT DROP BOX
George Soros' $1 million donation to the Wisconsin Democratic Party is among its largest in recent months. (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In-person early voting for Badger State voters already started last week and will continue through April 1, but April 4 will kick off spring general elections. The main card is for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat where Democrat Janet Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, faces Republican Dan Kelly, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice.
The Wisconsin Democratic Party transferred millions of dollars to Protasiewicz's committee in recent months, the filings show. The race has attracted massive sums and could become the most expensive state Supreme Court election ever, Politico reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This election is off the charts," Ben Wikler, chair of the state Democratic Party, told the publication in late February. "It's off the charts in terms of the stakes, it's off the charts in terms of how much money is likely to be invested on both sides, it's off the charts in terms of the number of people who are voting."
JUDGE WHO PRESIDED OVER WAUKESHA KILLER'S TRIAL RUNNING FOR WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT
Janet Protasiewicz, a Democrat, is vying for a seat on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, which carries 2024 consequences. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)
The winner will determine majority control of the court, with the fate of abortion access, legislative redistricting, voting rights, rules for elections, and other significant issues at stake. The winner will also be in place heading into the 2024 presidential election in a critical battleground state. The court is currently controlled 4-3 by conservatives.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}During the election, Protasiewicz has faced backlash over what critics call a "soft-on-crime" approach.
Fox News Digital previously reported that Protasiewicz suspended the prison sentence of a convicted domestic abuser before he went on to kill two people in 2019.
IN ABORTION-FOCUSED WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT RACE, OTHER ISSUES START TAKING PRECEDENT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}George Soros has been one of the biggest political donors in the country for years. (Open Society Foundations/YouTube/Video screenshot)
Protasiewicz previously defended her record and said she would not have ruled differently in past cases.
"Every single case is unique," she said in February. "Integrity is one of my hallmarks. Absolute integrity. I looked at what I looked at in each one of those unique cases and made a decision that I thought was appropriate."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Milwaukee has also experienced increased homicide rates for the third year in a row, according to local outlets.
Soros' spokesperson did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the donation by press time.
Fox News Digital's Jessica Chasmar contributed reporting.