RFK Jr. VP Pick Nicole Shanahan a Leftist ‘Criminal Justice’ Advocate Who Has Given Thousands to Joe Biden

Nicole Shanahan
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Hannah Knudsen

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s rumored choice for a running mate is a leftist “criminal justice” advocate who has given thousands to President Joe Biden and Democrats.

RFK Jr. has tried to position himself as a truly independent candidate after switching from running as a Democrat in October 2023. At the time, he said, “I must declare my own independence. Independence from the Democratic Party. … And from all other political parties.”

But it is clear his vice president choice, Nicole Shanahan, does not exactly sit in the middle, having a history of supporting Democrats — including Biden, giving thousands to his campaign.

According to the New York Times:

Ms. Shanahan, who was once married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin, has a history of making donations to Democratic campaigns, including to President Biden’s 2020 run. But she gave to Mr. Kennedy’s presidential campaign in May 2023, when he was running as a Democrat.

More specifically, it appears Shanahan gave $30,000 to the Biden campaign in 2020, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) data. She also has made several donations to ActBlue, the Democrat fundraising arm, as well as one to the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Further, Shanahan has a history of supporting far-left “criminal justice” initiatives. In 2021, she revealed in San Francisco Magazine that she is a “major donor for Measure J in Los Angeles County.” Measure J “amends the County charter, requiring at least 10% of locally generated, unrestricted revenue be reinvested into community development and alternatives to incarceration,” according to a summary. It also “prohibits using funds for carceral systems and law enforcement agencies.”

Further, Shanahan, in that same interview, stated that she believes a mental health professional on scene of the George Floyd’s arrest could have possibly changed the outcome of the situation.

San Francisco Magazine put it this way:

Another important area of investment—criminal justice reform—is one that Shanahan has been devoted to for years, long before the Black Lives Matter movement. “I remember telling Sergey’s foundation head about five years ago that criminal justice reform was going to be one of the biggest topics of our generation,” she says. “I’m happy that I could be a major donor for Measure J in Los Angeles County, which was voted in and will be rerouting some of the law enforcement budget toward mental and social support services.” Shanahan notes that having a mental health professional on the scene of George Floyd’s arrest would have de-escalated the situation and possibly saved his life.

Conservative and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk also pointed out that Shanahan is a “six-figure donor to… George Gascon, the pro-crime, Soros-backed prosecutor who helped wreck San Francisco and is currently wrecking LA.”

He concluded she is a “far-left pick by RFK, who is apparently looking to shore up his progressive bona fides.”

“Major red flag for commonsense independents and centrist voters who are also sick of rising crime but intrigued by his campaign,” he added:

RFK Jr. is expected to make the vice president announcement official on Tuesday.

All the while, poll after poll seems to indicate that RFK Jr.’s presence in the race is benefiting former President Donald Trump rather than Biden. A recent Morning Consult survey examining the race in several key swing states shows Trump with the lead while Kennedy is included:

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.