Groups Attempting To Recall San Francisco DA Raise Double The Money Of Competitors

Two groups seeking to recall San Francisco’s progressive district attorney have raised double the money of their anti-recall competitors, Fox News reported.

The group, San Franciscans for Public Safety Supporting the Recall of Chesa Boudin, has raised almost $650,000 and has until Oct. 25 to collect 51,325 signatures in order for the recall to reach the ballot box, the San Francisco Chronicle and Fox News reported. The Committee Supporting the Recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin, has raised $273,000 since March and has until Aug. 11 to collect the same number of signatures.

In contrast, the two groups who support Attorney General Chesa Boudin have raised a total of $485,000, Fox News reported. Boudin, who campaigned on funds linked to billionaire George Soros, is facing a potential recall in response to his soft-on-crime approach and the city’s recent crime surge, according to activists, Fox News reported.

“He refuses to adequately prosecute criminals and fails to take drug dealing on our neighborhood streets seriously,” the Recall Chesa Boudin website said, which was paid for by San Franciscans for Public Safety Supporting the Recall of Chesa Boudin, Fox News reported. “He doesn’t hold serial offenders accountable and has released them from custody without consequences. Boudin’s response to victims? ‘Hopefully’ home burglaries will go down.”

“We’ve got two weeks more or less to go, but we are very confident,” Richie Greenberg said of the signature deadline, Fox News reported. He is the public face of the Committee Supporting the Recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, a political action committee (PAC), collected $400,000 in the effort to recall Boudin, Fox News reported.

Supporters of the DA said the recall funding was “alarming,” Fox News reported. Julie Edwards, spokesperson for Stand with Chesa, told Fox News that PACs have tried to hide their donors from the public, but that they “won’t be fooled” because thousands have said they are against the recall and support the district attorney.

“District Attorney Boudin has stood up to powerful special interests so it’s no surprise that ultrawealthy individuals and dark money PACs have targeted him in an attempt to redo the 2019 election,” Edwards said.

Officials have been under pressure in recent months to control surging crimes in San Francisco, including an uptick in homicides and burglaries.