{"id":1911481,"date":"2023-04-07T19:27:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-07T23:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nonprofits-backed-by-swiss-billionaire-steer-funds-into-democrat-causes\/"},"modified":"2023-04-07T19:30:16","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T23:30:16","slug":"nonprofits-backed-by-swiss-billionaire-steer-funds-into-democrat-causes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nonprofits-backed-by-swiss-billionaire-steer-funds-into-democrat-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonprofits Backed by Swiss Billionaire Steer Funds Into Democrat Causes"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnonprofits-backed-by-swiss-billionaire-steer-funds-into-democrat-causes%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1911481&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n<p>Nonprofits that have received funding from\u00a0Swiss billionaire Hansj\u00f6rg Wyss have been funneling the money into\u00a0American politics and policy, according to newly available tax documents.<\/p>\n<p>The Berger Action Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides \u201cphilanthropic support\u201d to organizations that advocate for solutions to \u201csome of our world\u2019s biggest problems\u201d including the \u201cclimate crises, income inequality, and health disparities,\u201d\u00a0works with the Wyss Foundation, a\u00a0charitable foundation established in 1998 by businessman Wyss.<\/p>\n<p>Wyss\u00a0is estimated to have a fortune of $5.1 billion stemming from the 2012 sale of his\u00a0medical device maker Synthes USA to pharmaceutical giant Johnson &#038; Johnson for $20.2 billion.<\/p>\n<p>The businessman was born in Switzerland but lives in\u00a0Wyoming and\u00a0is prohibited from donating to candidates or political committees in the United States, as he is a\u00a0foreign national.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u00a0tax documents viewed by <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/dark-money-democrats-wyss-politics-elections-601d40cd01569190559d545418afe396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Associated Press<\/a> show that the billionaire\u2019s giving through the Berger Action Fund rose to\u00a0$72 million in 2021, of which\u00a0$62.7 million went to two groups that were aligned with Democrats: the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund.<\/p>\n<p>Those groups\u00a0focused on garnering public support for President Joe Biden\u2019s political agenda, including rolling out paid television commercials\u00a0promoting Democrat congressional candidates like\u00a0Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H) ahead of last year\u2019s midterm elections, The Associated Press reports.<\/p>\n<p>Overall since 2016, the\u00a0Berger Action Fund\u00a0has donated $339 million to left-leaning nonprofits, records show.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4420953\"><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/04\/22\/Maggie-Hassan-GettyImages-1231491979-1200x800.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/04\/22\/Maggie-Hassan-GettyImages-1231491979-1200x800.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a> Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) speaks at a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs\/Rules and Administration Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 3, 2021. (Shawn Thew\/Pool via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Climate Agenda, Election Commercials<\/h2>\n<p>The Berger Action Fund is not legally obligated to disclose donors or reveal details about how it spends donations.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for the Berger Action fund told the Epoch Times, \u201cThe Berger Action Fund supports groups working to address the biodiversity and climate crises, income inequality, and health disparities. It works with the Wyss Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, which provides direct support to projects and organizations working in these areas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBerger\u2019s grant to the Sixteen Thirty Fund supported advocacy, including for the Inflation Reduction Act and the climate provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Wyss Foundation\u2019s grant to New Venture Fund is earmarked specifically for the Andes Amazon Fund, which has helped to conserve nearly 32 million acres in South America since 2015,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Berger Action Fund and the Wyss Foundation are committed to complying with all rules governing their activities and have established strict policies prohibiting their funds from being used for get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, or supporting or opposing candidates or political parties.\u202f\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to The\u00a0Associated Press, the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund\u00a0have collectively received $245 million donated by Wyss\u2019 groups since 2016.<\/p>\n<h2>Further Donations<\/h2>\n<p>The Sixteen Thirty Fund, according to its website, helps \u201cchangemakers maximize their impact by providing operational support that allows them to focus on advancing their core missions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That fund, which has received\u00a0$208 million from Wyss since 2016, gives funding both directly to\u00a0political committees but also donates to other nonprofit groups, which then give money to\u00a0political committees or pay for TV commercials that back certain candidates or causes, according to tax filings and campaign finance disclosures viewed by\u00a0The Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the New Venture Fund says it was launched in response to \u201cdemand from leading philanthropists for an efficient, cost-effective, and time-saving platform to launch and operate public interest projects,\u201d and focuses more on\u00a0traditional nonprofit work.<\/p>\n<p>Both of the\u00a0organizations were established over a decade ago by Eric Kessler, a former Clinton administration official.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNearly all of the donations we receive are intended for specific projects or purposes; many donations cannot be used for electoral activities; and every contribution is used in compliance with all guidelines, regulations, and laws,\u201d\u00a0Amy Kurtz, president of Sixteen Thirty Fund, said in a statement to The Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p>New Venture Fund president\u00a0Lee Bodner told the publication, \u201cLike any 501(c)(3) organization, we do not engage in any partisan electoral work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Since 2016, Wyss also has donated\u00a0$101 million to another\u00a0nonprofit, Fund for a Better Future, a social welfare organization which, according to its website, is \u201cdedicated to promoting the common good by protecting the environment, upholding democratic values, addressing disparities in public health, and advancing social equity.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4038560\"><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2021\/10\/08\/GettyImages-1345350809-1200x800.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2021\/10\/08\/GettyImages-1345350809-1200x800.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a> President Joe Biden walks across the South Lawn as he leaves the White House in Washington on Oct. 7, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>\u2018No Effective Oversight\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>In 2021, a Fund for a Better Future strategic communications and paid media operation\u00a0called Climate Power\u00a0helped\u00a0finance millions of dollars in advertisements backing Biden\u2019s Build Back Better agenda, records show.<\/p>\n<p>According to its website, Climate Power\u00a0\u201cintegrates hard-hitting research, polling, state and national earned media, digital and paid media to influence the national conversation, embolden leaders to take immediate, bold climate action, and expose climate deniers and their oil and gas lobby allies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Climate Power also splashed out about $5.3 million on advertisements supporting roughly 30 House Democrats in the months leading up to the 2022 midterms, campaign finance disclosures show.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFund for a Better Future carefully tracks and controls its revenues and expenses to ensure we comply with legal limits and with any restrictions placed on the funds we receive from donors,\u201d spokesperson Niki Woodard said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have previously criticized Republicans for using so-called \u201cdark money\u201d ahead of elections, but the latest filings show that Democrat-aligned groups spent more of it in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe whole system is currently structured on this premise that we can take these nonprofit group at their word,\u201d\u00a0Saurav Ghosh, a director of the Washington-based nonpartisan watchdog group\u00a0Campaign Legal Center, told The Associated Press. \u201cThe reality is there is really no effective oversight to make sure money from a foreign national doesn\u2019t wind up in electoral politics.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a statement to The Epoch Times, Mark Kleinman, senior communications officer at Fund for a Better Future said, \u201c501(c)(4) social welfare organizations are permitted to allocate a portion of their expenses to political activities, as long as those activities are not their primary purpose. Fund for a Better Future (FBF) carefully tracks and controls its revenues and expenses to ensure we comply with legal limits and with any restrictions placed on the funds we receive from donors. Our controls include separate accounting of donor-restricted funds and, where appropriate, contractual prohibitions on political spending by our grantees and consultants. Our grant agreement with Berger Action Fund contractually prohibits political spending, and FBF has never used Berger Action Fund dollars to support political activities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times has contacted the nonprofits in question for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nonprofits that have received funding from\u00a0Swiss billionaire Hansj\u00f6rg Wyss have been funneling the money into\u00a0American politics and policy, according to newly available tax documents. The Berger Action Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides \u201cphilanthropic support\u201d to organizations that advocate for solutions to \u201csome of our world\u2019s biggest problems\u201d including the \u201cclimate crises, income inequality, and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1911482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[5684,4912,4543,16020,23007,14166],"class_list":["post-1911481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-billionaire","tag-democrat","tag-funds","tag-nonprofits","tag-steer","tag-swiss"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1911481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1911482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1911481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1911481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1911481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}