Kane candidate Sosnowski hints Soros connection to Mosser

Andrew Sosnowski, an Elgin attorney who is running against incumbent Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser in the Nov. 5 general election, implied in a social media post that her campaign received donations from George Soros, a billionaire who supports the Democratic Party and progressive causes.

The March 30 Facebook post by Sosnowski, a Republican, does not name Mosser, but asks, “Where does your elected State’s Attorney get her campaign money? ... Many elected State’s Attorneys around our great nation are funded by Open Society and George Soros.”

“His monies are funneled into other organizations with names touting justice, equity, and expression; follow the money. We see these monies funding prosecutor’s campaigns in bigger cities and our own suburban communities too,” according to Sosnowski’s post. “Who gives money to your State’s Attorneys’ political campaigns - follow the money!”

In a text message, Mosser, a Democrat from Campton Hills, said she saw Sosnowski’s post and chose to ignore it.

“I can confirm No George Soros money for me,” according to Mosser’s text message. “It is a scare tactic. My reputation as an ethical prosecutor is what people will see when they get to the voting booths.”

According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, Soros donated to the campaign of former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Fox in 2016. Neither he, nor his nonprofit, Open Society Foundations, is listed as donating to other candidates in Illinois, according to the website.

Sosnowski’s post included a photo of Soros, a Hungarian billionaire who is Jewish, noted for donations to the Democratic Party and his philanthropic donations through his Open Society Foundations.

The websites of the Jewish Defense League, Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Jewish Committee all condemn the use of Soros as an anti-semitic trope.

The issue is not being critical of or disagreeing with his politics or actions, but “when Soros is used as a symbol for Jewish control, wealth and power the criticism may be an updated version of traditional antisemitic tropes,” according to the American Jewish Committee website.

Sosnowski said he did not mean for his post to be seen as antisemitic, only that voters should be aware of who is making campaign donations to local candidates.

“I was not specifically pointing at her,” Sosnowski said of Mosser. “I’m not saying that directly.”

Sosnowksi said his post was a general warning to voters that they should be vigilant in knowing where their candidates are getting campaign donations.

Local candidates get money from many sources, not all of them local.

“People have a right to select people who represent them and their values,” Sosnowski said. “A lot of my stuff is warning people about what’s possibly coming to the suburbs. Suburban communities are going to change and a lot of things happening in Chicago are moving to the suburbs.”

Voters should be aware that Soros gives money “in the name of diversity and equity, but that are funding state’s attorney’s offices to do things that are not beneficial to the community,” Sosnowski said.

“I don’t want to take money from George Soros or approach someone who would want something in return,” Sosnowski said. “I’m not trying to be a snit about it. Follow the money. We have to be vigilant. ... I like people to look where the money is coming from. ... Where does your person get their money?”

Sosnowski said he is “probably 33% Jewish” and has no tolerance for anything racist or antisemitic.

“None of that stuff resonates with me ... that disgusts me,” he said.

If he is elected, Sosnowski said he would uphold the law for everyone – Black, white, Hispanic and the LGBTQ+ community.

“What I believe in my soul is that people should not be treated differently because people view them differently,” Sosnowski said.

“I am for LGBTQ rights. I work with the Open Door Clinic here in Elgin and Aurora. I am cognizant of the disparity and lack of people’s acceptance in that community. And what comes into our county, I’m going to protect that person to the fullest extent of the law,” Sosnowski said.

And anyone who comes into the county as a migrant would also be protected if he is state’s attorney, Sosnowski said.

By the same token, he said anyone breaking the law “would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to their campaign finance filings with the State Board of Elections, Mosser has more than $42,000 in donations while Sosnowski received $500 from a single donor and $6,100 that he loaned his campaign, records show.