Public subsidy to the left: Newsom administration has sent $18 million to George Soros foundations

Since Gavin Newsom took office as California governor in 2019, state funds have subsidized the Tides Center, a progressive foundation linked to George Soros, with nearly $18 million in public money.

So reveal analyses of California state public spending released this week by The Free Beacon.

The organization, registered as a nonprofit, has been criticized in the past for its lack of transparency. It specializes in serving as a sponsor of numerous progressive groups across the country. Thanks to this structure, these groups can operate without registering individually with the IRS and without disclosing the exact destination of their funds.

The Tides Center is part of a larger network, along with the Tides Foundation. Both organizations have been funded by George Soros' Open Society Foundations. This has raised concerns about the use of public money in California to fund left-wing political causes.

Lack of transparency is a key problem. California has sent money to the Tides Center under the Newsom administration. However, the state has not provided details about how these funds are used. Because the Tides Center redistributes money to other groups, it is difficult to track the final destination of public funds.

Grants and contracts through state agencies

According to state accounts accessed by The Free Beacon, California transferred funds to the Tides Center through several agencies and under several different concepts.

Prominent among them all is the California Department of Health Services, who since 2019 has paid the Tides Center $8.8 million, nearly half of the total state funding sent to the group.

Next in terms of amount is the Department of Public Health, who awarded payments to the Tides Center in the amount of $3.4 million $3.4 million for some therapeutic response programs for COVID-19.

Disbursements from eight other California agencies are individually less than $500,000.

$18 million in six years

According to The Free Beacon, in addition to state money, Newsom provided large sums to Tides these past six years. He raised more than $1 million for the Tides Center and more than $11 million for the Tides Foundation. He has also sought private donations from businesses and philanthropists aligned with progressive causes.

Critics argue that the use of public funds in this network is inappropriate. They consider it a covert diversion of state money to fund specific political causes. They point out that these types of practices should be subject to a higher level of oversight and transparency.

Advocates for Newsom and the Tides Center assert that the funds are used for programs in the public interest. They argue that many of these initiatives benefit disadvantaged communities. However, the lack of clarity in the distribution of the money raises questions.

The Free Beacon mentions that Newsom has previously been criticized for his relationships with large donors and progressive organizations. His ties to the Tides network reinforce these criticisms. For many, the case is an example of how state funds are used to advance political agendas without adequate oversight.