Democracy PAC/Democracy PAC II – FactCheck.org

Political leanings: Democratic/liberal

2020 total spending: $81.1 million 

Democracy PAC and Democracy PAC II are liberal super PACs created by billionaire George Soros to fund political organizations that help elect Democrats. 

Michael Vachon, an adviser, spokesperson and chief of staff for Soros, is the treasurer of Democracy PAC, which was created in January 2019, and Democracy PAC II, which was formed in August 2021. As super PACs, both can accept unlimited donations.

As of March 31, Democracy PAC II had received slightly more than $125 million in contributions. Soros, the super PAC’s only listed individual contributor, donated $125 million. The group has spent just over $11 million during the 2022 election cycle so far, donating $5 million to the Senate Majority PAC and $1 million each to Care in Action PAC, House Majority PAC, Vote Rev PAC, One Georgia Inc. and the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State — all of which are liberal or support Democratic candidates.

Democracy PAC is solely funded by Soros and the Fund for Policy Reform, of which Soros is founder and board chairman. The Fund for Policy Reform is one of six Open Society Foundations, which are “the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights,” according to its website. 

For the 2020 campaign, Democracy PAC raised nearly $81.4 million — $75.5 million from the Fund For Policy Reform and about $5.8 million from Soros. Of that, the group spent slightly less than $81.1 million on contributions to other political organizations, including $11.5 million to the Senate Majority PAC, which helped the Democrats gain control of the Senate, and $4 million to the House Majority PAC, which helped the Democrats hold onto control of the House.

The super PAC also contributed $5.5 million during the 2020 campaign to Priorities USA Action, which spent more than $110 million on independent expenditures to help elect Joe Biden president. The Federal Election Commission defines independent expenditures as spending on “a communication that expressly advocates” for the election or defeat of a specific candidate.

As of March 31, Democracy PAC reported receiving slightly more than $25.2 million in contributions — all from the Fund for Policy Reform ($25 million) and Soros (nearly $250,000). Democracy PAC has spent nearly $3.8 million so far this election cycle, including donating $2 million to the AB PAC, a liberal super PAC that conducts opposition research to help Democratic candidates and organizations.