Fox News founder’s son is bankrolling a new Dem Party power play

James Murdoch — the child of Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch who, unlike his sibling Lachlan, rejects his father's right-wing views — is now partially bankrolling a new effort to promote moderates in the Democratic Party.

"In Denver, at least eight potential candidates gathered for a three-day conference aptly titled 'What’s Next,'" reported The New York Times' Reid J. Epstein, Lisa Lerer and Laurel Rosenhall. "Along the California coast, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona led journalists and social media influencers on a tour of the aircraft carrier he served on as a U.S. Navy pilot. And Gov. Gavin Newsom of California appeared at a United Nations climate summit in Turkey, where he told Turkish news media that he planned to decide in late January if he would run for president in 2028 — the most specific timeline he has offered yet."

They added, "The Denver gathering was hosted by a new group called Majority Democrats, which hails from the party’s moderate wing and is focused on fostering a new generation of leaders. Its biggest donors include Stephen and Sue Mandel, hedge fund billionaires; the former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; and James and Kathryn Murdoch."

They continued, "The vibes were nearly euphoric at the happy hours and parties, including one for Democrats from the first six states on the Democratic Party’s 2028 primary calendar. Senior aides to would-be presidential candidates mingled with the sort of people whose endorsements would soon be sought after."

James Murdoch has long been an outspoken critic of his father's legacy. Speaking to The New York Times in 2020, he described the network's offerings as propagandistic.

"I reached the conclusion that you can venerate a contest of ideas, if you will, and we all do and that's important. But it shouldn't be in a way that hides agendas," Murdoch said.

He later added, "A contest of ideas shouldn't be used to legitimize disinformation, and I think it's often taken advantage of, and I think at great news organizations, the mission really should be to introduce fact to disperse doubt — not to sow doubt, to obscure fact, if you will."

"And I just felt increasingly uncomfortable with my position on the board having some disagreements over how certain decisions are being made," he went on. "So it was actually not that hard a decision to remove myself and have a kind of cleaner slate."

Some Democrats are less than thrilled by the presence of influential billionaires in their ranks. Speaking to AlterNet in June, an anonymous top DNC official described them as hurting rather than helping the party.

"Our so-called Democratic billionaires are out of control,” the top Democrat explained. “They are buying up candidates beholden to their special interests in Democratic primaries all across our country. It is legal after Citizens United, but it’s not democratic. It’s not good for the life of the Republic. And it’s disgusting.”

He also said, “If the voters were told, they’d be outraged. But no one is telling them — no one in the mainstream media and no one in our Party."