FIRST ON FOX: A top Democratic House recruit drew a salary worth tens of thousands of dollars from a left-wing dark money network heavily bankrolled by George Soros’ political empire, Fox News Digital has learned.

New York congressional candidate Laura Gillen, a town supervisor in the Long Island town of Hempstead, drew a $40,000 “fellow” salary with the group Our American Future Foundation (OAFF) in 2023, according to her financial disclosures. The group and a sister nonprofit, Our American Future Action, help pay expenses for individuals—overwhelmingly Democrats—who plan to run for office in the future.

According to the Open Society Foundations, the umbrella of groups founded by Soros, its Open Society Action Fund has donated more than $18 million to Our American Future Action “to support non-partisan policy advocacy and civic engagement.” 

Tax filings show Our American Future Action is Our American Future Foundation’s “direct controlling entity.”

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A spokesperson for Our American Future Foundation told Fox News Digital the funding went to Our American Future Action and that Our American Future Foundation “has not received any funding from them.” 

Our American Future Foundation also received direct support from the Soros empire. It got an undisclosed level of funding last year from the Jennifer and Jonathan Allan Soros Foundation, a charitable group run by one of the left-wing billionaire’s sons, tax filings show.

Jonathan and Jennifer Soros have also donated to Gillen’s campaign directly, each contributing $3,300 this year. Another Soros son, Robert Soros, donated $2,900 to Gillen’s unsuccessful 2022 campaign to unseat Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito.

“It is incredibly problematic that George Soros is paying candidates to run for office through a program disguised as a ‘fellowship,’” said Caitlin Sutherland, executive director of the nonprofit watchdog group Americans for Public Trust, in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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George Soros, billionaire and founder of Soros Fund Management LLC, speaks at an event on day three of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Voters should be seriously alarmed that Laura Gillen, who is claiming to run on ethics and transparency, is being personally propped up by a Soros group that is advocating for open borders, anti-police measures, and radical energy policies,” Sutherland continued. “This raises crucial questions about who Gillen will answer to if elected to Congress: the voters…or George Soros?”

Gillen has claimed that pointing out Soros funding for her campaign is responsible for “antisemitic violence.” 

Rep. Dan Goldman, a fellow New York Democrat, has also accused D’Esposito, whom Gillen is challenging again this cycle, of “using a disgusting antisemitic trope” by pointing out Soros’ backing.

Soros’ groups have heavily funded organizations behind antisemitic protests since last year aimed at delegitimizing Israel and stopping U.S. support for its military campaign against the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

Liberal billionaire George Soros’ groups have heavily funded antisemitic protests since last year. (Getty Images)

The Open Society Action Fund’s $18,055,000 in funding for Our American Future Action began in 2023 and was slated to finance activities stretching for 19 months, according to a grants database on the Open Society Foundations website. Tax filings indicate the Jonathan and Jennifer Alan Soros Foundation’s donation also came in 2023, the same year Gillen drew her fellowship salary.

The fellowship program is designed to provide aspiring political candidates, overwhelmingly Democrats, with money to cover basic living expenses while they focus on future political campaigns.

Several Democratic candidates in competitive 2024 contests have received funding from the group, including California’s Will Rollins, Nebraska’s Tony Vargas, Arizona’s Kirsten Engel and New York’s Josh Riley, according to the Washington Examiner.

In March, the Examiner first reported that the nonprofit watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) was filing a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging OAFF’s payments to future House candidates violated federal law. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, OAFF is prohibited from spending money on political activity. However, FACT alleged its payments to eventual candidates for office were explicitly designed to advance their political prospects.

“The fellowship’s true purpose was explicitly described by its founder as a way to give money to failed candidates (or prospective candidates) for personal expenses in the brief downtime before they are able to file again to run for another office,” FACT wrote in its complaint. “Thus, the fellowship is directly tied to a federal candidacy and not for bona fide independent employment. Any claim otherwise would strain credulity.”

Soros has also poured millions into several other groups and committees backing Democrats throughout the 2024 cycle. His two super PACs – Democracy PAC and Democracy PAC II – have so far combined to shower left-wing groups with $53 million, Federal Election Commission records show.

Gillen recently benefited from one of the groups financed by the left-wing billionaire. On Aug. 2, Soros’ Democracy PAC sent $500,000 to the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund, which weeks later spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on independent expenditures backing her candidacy in the form of digital production, ad buys, and other items. During that time, the group also backed Kamala Harris and a handful of other Democrats.

Gillen’s campaign and the Open Society Foundation did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

When someone told cannabis educator Casey Sanginario that a Boston-based company was selling a domestic robot that grows cannabis using artificial intelligence, she waived it off as entirely non-credible.

“My first thought was, there’s no way,” Sanginario said with a laugh after describing herself as a cannabis snob. “I’m in groves all the time. I have a lot of grow experience. Some of my best friends are growers. It’s a really complicated process – PH levels, humidity levels, temperature, regulation – bugs. The plant attracts bugs!”

Annaboto was founded two years ago with an aspiration to hydroponically solve food insecurity – allowing people to easily grow plant-based food at home. The uptake on that idea was slow so they pivoted to cannabis. Interest isn’t slow anymore. They’ve sold hundreds of units – shipping them around the country where cannabis is legal.

“People who use cannabis for health and wellness want something that’s clean – pesticide-free – and consistent so you can dose it accordingly,” said Annaboto Founder and CEO Carl Palme. “When you grow at home you get all those benefits, but growing at home is so challenging.”

The Justice Department officially proposed reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. News4’s Jackie Bensen explains how it would ease restrictions on cannabis on the federal level if approved.

The promise of Annaboto is simplicity. All that’s needed are seeds and water. The robot does everything else: how much light to deploy, how many nutrients to dose – even when to turn on a fan to regulate odor. Plus, the robot’s artificial intelligence technology sends back lessons learned so the next 90-day harvest is supposed to be better than the last.

“We have machines all over the US and in Mexico. We’re learning from people growing in Arizona, Massachusetts and California and all of that information is being relayed back to us. The more data we get, the better the AI performs,” Palme said.

BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) — Former President Donald Trump is returning to the Butler Farm Show grounds for the first time since an assassination attempt in July. 

Trump was grazed in the ear, firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed and two others were injured when Thomas Crooks opened fire from the top of a nearby building.

It’s estimated that anywhere between 15,000 to 60,000 people will attend his rally in Butler County. 

The gates for Saturday’s event open at 10 a.m. Trump is expected to start speaking at 5 p.m. According to his guest list, attendees include Comperatore’s family, one of the men who was injured at the last rally, Marc Fogel’s mother Malphine, Elon Musk and vice presidential nominee JD Vance.  

Construction could cause traffic issues

With construction on Route 68, traffic could be an issue. Cars were backing up on Friday. Route 68 is one of the ways into the Butler Farm Show grounds, and Meridian Road on the other side is partially closed.

“It’s going to be difficult travel tomorrow getting here to where you gotta park,” Butler County DA Richard Goldinger said.

Goldinger said local police will be assisting with traffic. State police will help. With construction near the farm show complex, Goldinger said to be patient and follow the officers’ and troopers’ instructions.

“Follow their orders. Don’t drive in closed lanes or anything like that. We want everybody to be safe,” Goldinger said.

While there is parking at the farm show, some nearby lots are selling spaces. One right next to the grounds is selling spots for $20. Some people were already paying to park on Friday. The property owner says they can fit about 400 cars and will have four to five people out getting the money and cars into the lot. 

The district attorney is calling on people to have patience and plan on Saturday being a longer day out. The traffic between people, politicians and other celebrities is expected to slow down the flow of everything.

“It doesn’t change the fact that this road is under construction so it’s going to be slow travel,” Goldinger said.

Security for this Trump rally will be different 

Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche said the Butler County Emergency Services Agency will be the unified communications bridge between the United States Secret Service, state and local police, fire, and EMS. 

Unlike the first rally on July 13, there will be one command post. In that post, there will be one person from all law enforcement and emergency services agencies working the rally. 

During the first rally, three separate radio systems created communication delays. On Saturday, there will be one for state and local police and one for the Secret Service. A Secret Service agent will also be embedded with each state and local team.

Goldinger told KDKA-TV earlier this week that the snipers posted inside the AGR building where Crooks fired from have been asked to help again. Law enforcement will also be on top of the AGR building. 

Man who was behind Trump during shooting says he’ll be back

One person expected to be in the crowd is a man who was sitting behind Trump when the former president was grazed by a bullet on July 13.

Chesher said he witnessed the attempted assassination of Trump.

“It’s been a couple of months but I’m still processing what happened that day. The emotions are all over the place,” Chesher said. 

He said he’ll be back at the Butler Farm Show grounds this weekend.

“We’re forever connected to President Trump now,” Chesher said. 

Not far away from Chesher, others were struck, including Comperatore, who died as a result of being hit by a bullet meant Trump.

Chesher said he believes there will be “a spiritual positivity” at the rally on Saturday. Chesher also said he believes he will be sitting behind Trump again on Saturday.

As for being worried about more violence, given what occurred, Chesher believes Saturday’s event will be a safe one.

“He said it should be the most secure event. In my heart, I believe it will be the most secure event. I think God’s on our side though,” Chesher said. 

 Chesher said he’s hoping to talk to the former president, and regardless, he hopes the event is peaceful.