DSA candidates rail against billionaires — while still cashing checks from the ultra-rich
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in Los Angeles have been receiving significant financial support from billionaire donors, despite their public stance against the ultra-rich. This contradiction was highlighted in a recent email blast from DSA-LA, urging support for candidates who will fight against ICE, billionaires, and the Trump administration.
The email blast also promoted a rally with Senator Bernie Sanders, emphasizing the need for a tax on the ultra-rich. However, records show that some of the DSA-aligned candidates have been funded by donors from the very billionaire class they claim to oppose.
For example, Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez has received donations from philanthropists like Susan Pritzker, who is connected to the Hyatt hotel fortune, and Patty Quillin, the wife of Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings. Elizabeth Simons, heir to a multibillion-dollar fortune, has also contributed to Hernandez’s campaign.
The trend of billionaire-adjacent donations extends to other DSA-aligned candidates like Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez and Ysabel Jurado. These candidates have received financial support from the same deep-pocketed donor network, including Quillin and Simons.
Overall, Simons has contributed $59,500 to DSA-aligned candidates since 2022, Pritzker has donated $76,800 since 2021, and Quillin has contributed $173,200 to Los Angeles races. This influx of high-dollar support has helped DSA-aligned campaigns build formidable war chests, with Hernandez leading the field in fundraising.
In the City Attorney race, DSA-aligned candidate Marissa Roy has amassed $462,664.39 in campaign funds, positioning her as a major contender against the incumbent. Despite their anti-billionaire rhetoric, it is clear that some DSA-aligned candidates in Los Angeles are benefiting from significant financial support from the very class of individuals they claim to oppose.
