In a surprising turn of events, Media Matters for America, a left-wing organization, inadvertently leaked its confidential donor list, exposing significant funding from major Democratic megadonors. Documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon reveal that the organization, classified as a 501(c)(3) charity, is not legally obligated to disclose its donors publicly. However, it seems the group unintentionally disclosed its top five donors for 2022 in a November filing to the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General.
Indiana shopping-mall tycoon Deborah Simon emerged as the leading contributor, donating $4 million to Media Matters, according to the leaked documents. Simon, known for her substantial financial support to Democratic politicians and organizations, has a history of contributing millions, as per Federal Election Commission data. In 2019, she expressed a strong commitment to defeating then-President Trump, stating, “I’m going to do anything I can to defeat [Trump]. That’s my goal.”
Bain Capital co-founder Josh Bekenstein and his wife Anita were identified as donors, contributing $1.75 million to Media Matters. Both have a track record of donating millions to Democratic super PACs, according to OpenSecrets data. Notably, Media Matters has historically received contributions from left-wing megadonors such as billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, entities managed by Arabella Advisors, and the Ford Foundation.
Despite allegations of a left-wing bias, Media Matters has often been portrayed as a media “watchdog” by several media outlets. In November, the organization released a report claiming that large advertisers’ ads were appearing next to antisemitic posts on Elon Musk’s platform, X. The report faced criticism, leading to X suing Media Matters for alleged manipulative strategies.
Other notable contributors revealed in the leaked documents include LGBTQ rights organization Gill Foundation, contributing nearly $3 million, and the Stephen Silberstein Foundation, donating close to $2 million to Media Matters. Lastly, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, backed by billionaire Warren Buffett, contributed over $1.7 million. Buffett publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016, according to The New York Times.
The unintentional disclosure of these major donors raises questions about the transparency of Media Matters and the potential impact on its perceived role as a media watchdog.
