Report: Swiss Billionaire Donated $208 Million to Left-Wing Lobby Groups in U.S.

A Swiss billionaire who has been quietly backing left-wing groups donated more than $208 million to those groups between 2016 and early 2020, according to a report.

The New York Times reported Hansjörg Wyss doled out the money from two of his organizations, a nonprofit fund and a foundation, to three other nonprofit funds that gave money to left-wing groups that assisted Democrats in their efforts to take back the White House and control Congress in 2020.

Representatives for Wyss say his funds are not being spent on political campaigning. But documents obtained by the Times and interviews show these groups played a big role in funding the political infrastructure that supports the Democrats and their causes.

While most of Wyss’s giving was channeled through the three nonprofit funds, Wyss’s organizations also gave direct donations in the tens of millions of dollars to groups against former President Donald Trump and in support of Democrats and their causes.

Some of the left-wing groups that benefitted from Wyss’s giving included the Center for American Progress and Priorities USA.

His funds also helped build media outlets such as couriernews.com that allegedly slant the news to favor Democrats and editorially sought to block Trump’s nominees, prove Russian collusion, and advocate for Trump’s impeachment.

Employees from Wyss’s organization have also worked on Biden’s transition team or have joined the Biden administration.

Wyss’s political clout grew after he was named one of the top bidders for Tribune Publishing before he dropped out.

Democratic donors and political operatives increasingly used dark money during the 2020 election cycle.

In 2020, left-wing groups aligned with Democrats spent more than $514 million, compared to approximately $200 million spent by right-wing groups aligned with Republicans, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.