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Elon Musk secretly funnelled cash to oust a Texas prosecutor
Elon Musk allegedly funded efforts to unseat Texas DA José Garza, backing a group that spread false accusations against him.
Elon Musk reportedly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into an effort to unseat a Democratic prosecutor in Texas, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX was identified as the primary financier behind Saving Austin, a group that targeted District Attorney José Garza with inflammatory campaign materials during the Democratic primary.
The group distributed fliers that accused Garza of “filling Austin’s streets with pedophiles & killers,” an accusation that lacked any basis. The fliers featured an image of Garza next to a bloody teddy bear, along with the message, “The next victim could be your loved one.”
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The Journal reported that Musk may have been more politically active than previously known, especially in light of his July announcement promising to spend millions to help elect former President Donald Trump.
It also reported that Musk’s financial involvement in the campaign may have been driven by a personal vendetta, specifically his reported disdain for philanthropist George Soros, who has been a prominent supporter of criminal justice reform and district attorney candidates like Garza.
Soros, now 94, has contributed millions of dollars to political action committees that support DA candidates focused on justice system reforms and greater police accountability. His Texas Justice and Public Safety PAC notably contributed $450,000 to Garza’s 2020 campaign, although Soros did not fund Garza’s campaign this year.
Musk secretly bankrolled anti-Garza effort in Texas primary
Neither Garza nor his Democratic primary opponent, Jeremy Sylestine, were aware of Musk’s involvement in the anti-Garza effort, according to the Journal. Both candidates had previously condemned the Saving Austin fliers. Despite the attacks, Garza won the March primary with two-thirds of the vote and is expected to win re-election in November.
Financial records reviewed by the Journal revealed that Saving Austin spent more than $650,000 on TV ads targeting Garza, with backing from Republican consultants and former staffers of Senator Ted Cruz. Musk’s involvement came as a surprise to many, given his limited public engagement in local Texas politics.
Musk has been outspoken in his criticism of Soros, whom he has publicly and privately compared to a “supervillain.” He has even tweeted that Soros reminds him of Magneto, the villain from the X-Men series. Notably, both Soros and Magneto are Holocaust survivors, and Musk’s comments drew criticism from Jewish groups.
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On Joe Rogan’s podcast, Musk said of Soros, “In my opinion, he fundamentally hates humanity… He’s doing things that erode the fabric of civilization—getting DAs elected that refuse to prosecute crime.”
