The Open Society Action Fund (OSAF), formerly the Open Society Policy Center, is a lobbying group associated with the Open Society Network and the Open Society Foundations, the principal advocacy philanthropic efforts of left-of-center financial billionaire George Soros.8
Obama Administration
In 2011, OSAF joined the Alliance for Justice and 75 other largely left-leaning organizations calling for return to “regular order” for judicial nominees in the U.S. Senate and “swift confirmation of President Obama’s judicial nominees.”9
George W. Bush Administration
OSAF also worked to oppose George W. Bush administration nominees. In 2005, OSAF organized a coalition of left-leaning religious leaders and academics to oppose the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be U.S. Attorney General. George Hunsinger of Princeton Theological Seminary, leader of the OSAF-organized group, told a press briefing that Gonzales “was at the heart of deliberations in high places about skirting the Geneva Conventions and international law. The question was not how to prevent abuse, but how far interrogations could go in getting away with it. It was but a short step from there to Abu Ghraib.” Gonzales was ultimately confirmed.10
Lobbying Expenditures
In 2019, when Open Society Action Fund (then the Open Society Policy Center) reported $48.5 million in lobbying expenditures, making OSAF the second-largest spender in the nation on federal lobbying that year according to OpenSecrets.16
The same year, then-OSAF head Morton Halperin argued that the United Nations needed to take the lead on the post-war Iraq reconstruction.18
Hungary
The organization has also lobbied officials in the State Department and Congress regarding laws passed by the Hungarian government that George Soros opposes and that impact his ability to carry out advocacy in the country. In 2017, Open Society Action Fund (then the Open Society Policy Center) lobbied State Department officials and the Congress against a Hungarian law preventing Central European University from offering degrees in both Hungary and the United States. This legislation scuttled plans by the university to open a campus in Budapest.21
Throughout 2017 and 2018, OSAF lobbied Congress in favor of the DREAM Act, an attempt to provide permanent legal residence and a path to citizenship for a class of presently illegal immigrants who had been brought to the United States as children. When efforts to pass the legislation failed in 2018, OSAF senior advisor Angela Kelley told the Los Angeles Times, “If there was helium in the balloon, I think it has been zapped,” and blamed Republicans for having “no clear plan…. Democrats would be wise to hang back and see what they come to them with.”22 The group also lobbied against funding for a border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.23
Foreign Policy
Open Society Action Fund lobbies for what a spokesman for the organization has called “a progressive foreign policy.” In 2017, the group “reported lobbying on a bill (S.2047) that would withhold funds for U.S. military action against North Korea unless authorized by Congress.”24
In 2019, it also lobbied for a bill, H.R. 1004, that sought to prohibit U.S. military action in Venezuela, and for H.R. 2037, which would require the Director of National Intelligence to investigate and report on the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Kashoggi by persons associated with the Saudi Arabian government in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.33
According to the Washington Examiner, in July 2021 the Biden White House hosted a Zoom call with representatives of OSAF along with several other left-of-center voter advocacy groups to discuss increasing voter registration within the United States. Topics discussed on the call included “registering illegal immigrants and integrating voter registration into public housing as a requirement under federal law.” Notes on the meeting were provided by the Washington Examiner through the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) and the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project. Other groups involved in the call included End Citizens United, Democracy Fund, Demos, League of Women Voters, and the Sentencing Project.38 39
In 2023, 7amleh, a Haifa-based organization, received $250,000 from OSAF. 7amleh’s staff members have reportedly expressed approval for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), “a U.S.-designated terrorist faction,” according to the Washington Examiner. 7amleh has also reportedly collaborated with organizations linked to the PFLP, according to the Washington Examiner. OSAF provided $300,000 in funding to 7amleh in 2020. 40 41
OSAF provided $1 million in funding to the Congressional Integrity Project, a left-of-center activist group that opposes “House GOP-led investigations,” according to the Washington Examiner. The Congressional Integrity Project has also received funding from the Sixteen Thirty Fund. 43
References
- Open Society Action Fund. Accessed December 12, 2024. https://www.opensocietyactionfund.org/.
- Open Society Policy Center, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Part I, Line 13 and Schedule I https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522028955/202303199349322785/full
- “Soros Fuels Dark Money Judicial Group That Fights Kavanaugh, Trump Nominations.” Washington Free Beacon. September 9, 2019. Accessed April 15, 2020. https://freebeacon.com/politics/soros-fuels-dark-money-judicial-group-that-fights-kavanaugh-trump-nominations/
- “OSPC Summary of Lobbying Activities: 2018, Third Quarter.” Open Society Action Fund. Accessed December 12, 2024. https://www.opensocietyactionfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ospc-summary_of_lobbying_activities-2018-q3.pdf
- Steven J. Allen. “Kavanaugh and the Revenge of the Clinton Gang.” Capital Research Center. Oct. 5, 2018. Accessed April 11, 2020. https://capitalresearch.org/article/kavanaugh-and-the-revenge-of-the-clinton-gang/.
- Daniel Pozen. “The Tax-Code Shift That’s Changing Liberal Activism.” The Atlantic. November 27, 2018. Accessed April 13, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/501c3-501c4-activists-and-tax-code/576364/
- “OSPC Summary of Lobbying Activities: 2018, First Quarter.” Open Society Action Fund. July 27, 2018. Accessed December 12, 2024. https://www.opensocietyactionfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ospc-summary_of_lobbying_activities-2018-q1.pdf
- Stephen Rickard. “Letters: Re ‘CIA agent’s past casts a shadow,’ April 1.” Los Angeles Times. April 4, 2018. Accessed on Westlaw (2018 WLNR 10102011) on April 15, 2020.
- “Alliance For Justice Joins 75 Organizations To Call On Senate To Return To ‘Regular Order’ On Judicial Nominations.” Alliance for Justice. Feb. 15, 2011. Accessed on Westlaw on April 14, 2020.
- Pamela Hess. “Gonzales Nomination Questioned.” UPI News. January 4, 2005. Accessed on Westlaw April 15, 2020.
- Ludwig, Hayden. “A Cool $21 Billion for Politics-Courtesy of George Soros.” Capital Research Center. Capital Research Center, January 4, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/a-cool-21-billion-for-politics-courtesy-of-george-soros/.
- “Top Spenders.” OpenSecrets. Accessed December 12, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/top-spenders?cycle=2019.
- “LD-2 Disclosure Form.” LD. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://lda.senate.gov/filings/public/filing/6cc56491-19c3-44c9-83e5-e93b95838861/print/.
- “1 Disclosure Form.” LD. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://lda.senate.gov/filings/public/filing/5f2760d2-5e36-4a12-b796-e99eb4f9dab5/print/.
- “LD-2 Disclosure Form.” LD. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://lda.senate.gov/filings/public/filing/bfbf2b89-8346-4b65-b0de-cd9dfbf04b03/print/.
- “Full-Page New York Times Ad ‘We Deserve the Truth’ to Run July 27, 2003.” U.S. Newswire. July 25, 2003. Accessed on Westlaw April 15, 2020.
- “Changing Course in Iraq.” PBS News Hour. Sept. 3, 2003. Accessed April 15, 2020. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/changing-course-in-iraq.
- “U.S. Representative Robert R. Simmons (R-CT) Holds Hearing on Open-Source Information Sharing.” CQ-Roll Call Congressional Transcripts. Aug, 5, 2005. Accessed on Westlaw (2005 WLNR 29722655) on April 15, 2020.
- “OSPC Summary of Lobbying Activities: 2019, First Quarter.” Open Society Action Fund. May 1, 2019. https://www.opensocietyactionfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ospc-summary_of_lobbying_activities-2019-q1.pdf
- Lili Bayer. “Hungary passes bill targeting Soros-funded university.” Politico. April 4, 2017. Accessed April 15, 2020. https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-ceu-story/.
- Holly Yeager. “Soros group triples outlays on lobbying.” Washington Post. February 24, 2014. Accessed on Westlaw (2014 WLNR 5047961) on April 14, 2020.
- Brian Bennet. “Revived push to shield ‘Dreamers’ fizzles out.” Los Angeles Times. March 8, 2018. Accessed on Westlaw (2018 WLNR 7179540) April 15, 2020.
- Noah Bierman and Brian Bennett. “Barriers keep border wall in promise stage analysis.” Hartford Courant. May 2, 2017. Accessed on Westlaw (2017 WLNR 13491588) April 15, 2020.
- “Group Backed by Liberal George Soros Posts Uptick in Lobbying.” CQ News. Jan. 22, 2018. Accessed on Westlaw (2018 WLNR 2802479) on April 15, 2020.
- “OSPC Summary of Lobbying Activities: 2019, Second Quarter.” Open Society Action Fund. July 29, 2019, Accessed December 12, 2024. https://www.opensocietyactionfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/ospc-summary_of_lobbying_activities-2019-q2.pdf
- “Local activist to celebrate new crack law.” Birmingham Press-Register. Sept. 06, 2010. Accessed April 11, 2020. https://www.al.com/live/2010/09/political_skinny_local_activis.html.
- James Poulos. “Few donors, big support for Prop. 47.” Cal Watchdog. Nov. 4, 2014. Accessed April 11, 2020. https://calwatchdog.com/2014/11/04/few-donors-big-support-for-prop-47/.
- Holly Shively. “Dayton Chamber announces opposition to Ohio Issue 1.” Dayton Daily News. Oct. 2, 2018. Accessed April 11, 2020. https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-chamber-announces-opposition-ohio-issue/0M2sW6VsFFC3KyfEgzGVeP/.
- Doug Belden. “Voter ID: Amendment opponents outraise supporters.” St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Oct. 29, 2012. Accessed April 14, 2020. https://www.twincities.com/2012/10/29/voter-id-amendment-opponents-outraise-supporters/
- “Minnesota Voter Identification Amendment, Amendment 2 (2012).” Ballotpedia. Accessed December 12, 2024. https://ballotpedia.org/Minnesota_Voter_Identification_Amendment,_Amendment_2_(2012).
- David Garrick. “Measures K, L would boost power of November electorate.” San Diego Union-Tribune. Oct. 22, 2016. Accessed April 11, 2020. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/sd-me-november-runoff-20161021-story.html.
- Tyler Wornell. “Amendment 1 would change the way Missouri legislative districts are drawn.” Joplin Globe. Oct. 13, 2018. Accessed April 11, 2020. https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/amendment-would-change-the-way-missouri-legislative-districts-are-drawn/article_5a535514-5f48-5de5-8589-ac942929f551.html.
- Darren Fishell. “Who’s paying to convince Mainers that ranked-choice voting suits them.” Bangor Daily News. June 8, 2018. Accessed on Westlaw (2018 WLNR 17785448) on April 11, 2020.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Biden voter registration meeting raises eyebrows on Capitol Hill: ‘Election interference.’” The Washington Examiner, May 7, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/2992655/biden-voter-registration-meeting-capitol-hill-election-interference/
- Open Society Foundations. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/who-we-are/leadership/laleh-ispahani.
- Stein, Sam, Eli Stokols, and Lauren Egan. “Soros Foundation’s Top Man Moves On.” POLITICO. Accessed April 19, 2023. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2023/04/18/soros-foundations-top-man-moves-on-00092571
- Scher, Brent. “George Soros Gives Additional $250k to Tom Perriello for Virginia Primary Bid.” June 6, 2017. Accessed December 14, 2017. http://freebeacon.com/politics/george-soros-gives-additional-250k-tom-perriello-virginia-primary-bid/.
- “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed November 16, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Open%2BSociety%2BAction%2BFund.
- “Our Mission.” NCAAT in Action, June 15, 2021. https://ncaatinaction.org/mission/.
- “Open Society Foundations.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed November 16, 2024. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=7amleh.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “Terrorist-Tied Ngos Score Cash from Democratic Megadonor.” Washington Examiner – Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, October 4, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3175738/terrorist-linked-ngo-megadonor-soros/.
- Kaminsky, Gabe. “George Soros Revealed as Backer of GOP Counterpunch – Washington Examiner.” Washington Examiner – Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, October 4, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/3176984/george-soros-backer-house-gop-counterpunch-group/.
- Return of Tax-Exempt Organization. IRS Form 990. Schedule I. Open Society Policy Center. 2016-2018.
- “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships – Open Society Foundations. Accessed March 24, 2022. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Open+Society+Policy+Center&filter_location=united-states.