Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF), a group advocating for a 2024 ballot measure to protect abortion rights in Florida, has been portraying itself as a grassroots organization.
However, campaign finance records reveal that the group has been receiving substantial funding from liberal dark money groups and wealthy donors, according to the Daily Caller.
FPF, which is leading the charge to enshrine the right to abortion in Florida's constitution, has been promoting its grassroots campaign and fundraising efforts in several press releases over recent months. Despite this, the group has been the recipient of significant funding from a vast network of liberal dark money groups and organizations backed by affluent liberal benefactors.
One such benefactor is the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which donated $1 million to FPF on May 31, as per Florida campaign finance records. The Sixteen Thirty Fund, managed by the Washington D.C.-based consulting firm Arabella Advisors, is known for its substantial annual spending, a significant portion of which is directed towards electing Democrats. The fund does not disclose its donors, as reported by Politico.
Arabella Advisors, a for-profit venture managed by Clinton administration veteran Eric Kessler, oversees a network of seven nonprofits. These organizations collectively channel tens of millions of dollars annually into pro-abortion causes, climate initiatives, and other left-leaning political groups. Arabella has faced accusations of operating a "dark money" network due to the large amounts of untraceable cash it funnels into politics.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund and other similar dark money groups have previously backed abortion ballot measures in Ohio and Michigan. Democrats view these abortion referendums as opportunities to sway voters and expand their influence in November elections.
Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss is one of the largest donors to the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Another significant contributor to FPF is the Tides Foundation, which donated approximately $3 million to FPF between December 2023 and April 2024. The San Francisco-based Tides Foundation also supports left-leaning causes, including pro-abortion initiatives and groups that have fueled pro-Palestinian protests in the U.S. following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.
The New York-based Soros family, a significant player in liberal politics, has also backed FPF. George Soros announced in June 2023 that he would be handing over control of his philanthropic empire to his son, Alex Soros, as reported by The New York Times. Alex Soros, in a July 2023 interview with the Wall Street Journal, described himself as "more political" than his father and expressed his intention to focus on advancing abortion rights. The Soros-backed Open Society Action Fund donated $1 million to FPF on May 7, according to campaign finance records.
Despite receiving millions from Soros' philanthropic network and other liberal donors outside Florida, FPF's public communications have consistently portrayed its campaign as being driven by ordinary citizens. The organization has repeatedly boasted about its "grassroots fundraising" operation and "unprecedented grassroots support."
Other out-of-state groups with deep pockets that have contributed to the effort to overturn Florida's existing abortion law include the New York-based Service Employees International Union, which has donated $500,000, and D.C.-based advocacy groups like NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Human Rights Campaign.
In November, Floridians will vote on whether to add an amendment to their constitution that would protect the right to abortion. The amendment requires 60% of the vote to pass. A poll released on June 7 showed that 69% of voters approved of the measure, as reported by Fox 13 News.
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