Don’t be fooled by the “Working Families” Party

What do the president of the Merck Family Foundation, the Sagner Family Foundation, and Hillary Clinton’s largest donor have in common? They all live outside the Philadelphia area and are all super-wealthy big-dollar donors to the “Working Families” party candidates for Philadelphia City Council.
Where does the “Working Families” party’s money come from?
- 90% of their money comes from the Democratic Party’s donor network, including PACs, failed Democratic Candidates’ campaigns, current elected officials and super-wealthy donors
- They have a Super-PAC
- They use dark money to create astro-turf political activity through groups like Reclaim Philadelphia, 215 Peoples’ Alliance and others (just like the Koch Brothers)
On Tuesday, November 5th 2019, Philadelphia will have its municipal off-year election for mayor, city council, and judges. One of the quirks of this year’s election is that there are several non-republicans running to take the 2 city council at-large seats reserved for non-majority (ie. non-Democratic Party) candidates, including two people who are running on the “Working Families Party” ticket. But don’t be fooled by these two candidates: they are not independent voices and while they seem to promote a progressive agenda, the money behind their campaign tells a different story.
Much like the 5 Democrats already elected to the Philadelphia City Council At-Large seats, the “Working Families Party” and their two candidates are funded by the current power structure. This includes groups such as failed Democratic primary campaigns, “progressive” dark money groups, a super-PAC, and finally Millionaires and Billionaires who do not live in Philadelphia, or even the surrounding area. These candidates are using tactics similar to those used by the Koch Brothers’ astro-turf groups, but with an alleged progressive agenda.
Money in politics often controls who wins and who loses. Because of that, politicians depend on their donors to get elected and stay in office. Let’s look at Kendra Brooks’ campaign and where the “Working Families” Party’s money has come from. For being an “independent” candidate, Kendra Brooks has raised an obscene amount of money from a number of sources. While her campaign received a number of small dollar donations totaling around $20,000, her total raised was $221,681, more than 10 times the small-dollar amount. Where does the rest come from?
About 42% came from PACs, some of which are controlled by Kendra Brooks and her organization, the 215 people’s alliance, who’s PAC address is the same as the legal address listed for Brooks’ Campaign. Where did that PAC’s money come from? Why from every failed (and successful) Democratic Primary candidate that was endorsed by Reclaim Philadelphia, and the Reclaim PAC: Ethelind Baylor, Erika Almiron, Justin DiBerardinis, Isaiah Thoams and Helen Gym. After Baylor, Almiron, and DiBerardinis all lost in the Democratic party primary, they recycled the money into these two PACs, who then pushed it out into Kendra Brooks’ Campaign. Tonya Bah’s campaign also directly donated $11,900 to Kendra Brooks’ campaign. All of this money is from Democrats, not from independent sources.
Then there are individual donations to Kendra Brooks’ campaign and the associated PAC’s: $5,750 from Deborah Sagner, president of the Sagner Family Foundation; $5,800 from Lawrence Hess, a San Diego Real Estate tycoon; $2,500 from S. Donald Sussman, a hedge fund manager and single largest donor to Hillary Clinton in 2016, accounting for over $21 Million raised for her Presidential campaign and super PAC; $5,000 from Oona Coy, President of the Merck Family foundation; $2,500 from Elizabeth Simons, heir to a hedge fund fortune in the Bay Area. These 5 super-wealthy donors gave a total of $21,550, which is more than the total take of small dollar donors to the entire campaign. These are also well-known funders of Democrats.
Next there is the Working Families Party Super-PAC, here in Philadelphia called an Independent Expenditure Campaign. This PAC is run from New York City, not Philadelphia, and already had almost a half million dollars on hand before this run. During this election Katrina Schaffer, a resident of Oakland, CA, donated $183,000 to the WFP Super-PAC. That is approximately 9 times the amount of money raised from small dollar donations given by one super-wealthy person to influence an election in Philadelphia. Schaffer is also a Democratic donor.
The web of money goes on and on, wheeling from source to source, purposely concealing the donors and where the candidates’ funding comes from. The picture that emerges from following the money is clear: the “Working Families” party is a well-funded operation, which receives its money from current and aspiring members of the Democratic Party as well as well ultra-wealthy Democratic Party donors.
When over 90% of an organization’s money comes from super wealthy people who do not live in Philadelphia and the Democratic Party’s funding network, what interests will they represent on Philadelphia City Council? Will they be an independent voice for the people of Philadelphia, or put the interest of their donors first?
The two seats on Philadelphia City Council that are reserved for the “non majority party” exist in the City Charter in order to keep Philadelphia from becoming a one-party city with no opposing or dissenting voices. In modern history, those seats have always been held by Republicans. This attempt by the “Working Families” party to take these two minority party seats is nothing less than a well-funded end-run around the City Charter organized by members of the Democratic Party and a political party based in New York City.
On November 5th do not be fooled by the “Working Families” party. Electing them to city council will not bring about progressive change, instead it will give Democrats and super wealthy funders from outside the city additional seats on our city council. If elected, the families they will be working for are the Sussmans, Sagners, Schaffers and Mercks, and not the working families of Philadelphia.
If you are looking for independent progressive change on the ballot tomorrow, the “Working Families Party” isn’t it. Instead, vote for and support truly independent progressive candidates for office who run a campaign of all small-dollar donors. Do not be fooled by the Working Families Party. Do not give them your vote.
