A Kansas House of Representatives committee meeting grew contentious after a Republican lawmaker’s remarks about left-wing billionaire donor George Soros prompted an accusation of antisemitism and a walkout from Democratic colleagues.
During the exchange, Republican State Rep. Pat Proctor, chair of the Elections Committee, referenced a media outlet’s funding by Soros while discussing SB 451, which would require more detailed reporting of expenditures, including services provided by vendors hired through consultants.
Proctor defended moving SB 451 into a larger omnibus-style bill. He mentioned media criticism of the committee process, saying a “news agency sponsored by George Soros” had objected to a prior hearing.
Democratic Rep. Heather Meyer responded, “I think that we should refrain in committee and in our daily lives from trying to assume that people are funded by Soros, and using antisemitic language and dog whistles to do so.”
Proctor replied, “I did not make any antisemitic comment.”
Proctor told JNS that he was “talking about an article in the Kansas Reflector, a subsidiary of the left-wing, faux news organization States Newsroom.”
“I said something about them being funded by George Soros, and Rep. Meyer accused me of antisemitism for saying his name,” he said.
Soros, a Jewish Hungarian investor and political activist, has donated more than $32 billion to progressive causes worldwide since 1984. His philanthropic network, Open Society Foundations, has given money to large nonprofit funds that have supported projects connected to States Newsroom.
At the meeting, Democratic Rep. Alexis Simmons joined in Meyer’s criticism. “I think it’s an egregious abuse of your position to defend any antisemitic commentary, and the George Soros commentary is well-documented to be heavily associated with antisemitic rhetoric. You are entitled to your opinion, chair’s prerogative, sir, but it’s wrong.”
Meyer walked out of the meeting in protest. Democratic State Rep. Brooklynne Mosley called Proctor “inappropriate” and also walked out.
The confrontation briefly halted committee proceedings, though it did manage to expand SB 451 into a broader package of election and campaign finance measures.
