George Soros isn’t the only mega-donor pouring big money into this year’s elections in Georgia.
Henry Nicholas, a California billionaire who founded the semiconductor company Broadcom Corp., and his victim’s rights foundation have already put $8.3 million into the campaign to pass Georgia’s proposed Marsy’s Law constitutional amendment, according to reports filed last week.
The measure, similar to those passed in other states, would require notification of victims before court hearings for those accused of harming them. Victims would also gain the right to be heard in court before a defendant is released, enters a plea or is sentenced.
The laws are named after Marsy Nicholas, Henry Nicholas’ sister, who was stalked and murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1983.
The amendment is expected to pass overwhelmingly in Georgia, but the local campaign’s finance report said backers had already spent almost $6.9 million by the end of August.
Much of it is going into media buys and development, and consulting.
The campaign for the Marsy's Law amendment may set a record for spending on a Georgia ballot question, if it hasn't already. Millions have been spent on amendment proposals in the past — the failed school takeover amendment in 2016 is a recent example — but it's typically because two sides, pro and con, are contesting the issue.
Political money is flowing into Georgia this year, particularly in the governor's race, where much of the TV and mailer advertising is expected to be paid for by Washington political action committees and donors from California to Massachusetts.
Earlier this year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Soros, a regular donor to liberal causes, gave $1 million to the Democratic Party of Georgia.
The New York billionaire and his family had given $94,000 to the campaign of Stacey Abrams, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, as of June 30. He gave an additional $400,000 to Black PAC., a group supporting Abrams’ campaign.
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