Jeff Yass Spends $16.5 Million in PA as New PACs Raise Questions
PENNSYLVANIA – A new campaign finance report shows Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass is already pouring tens of millions into state politics this cycle, including record-breaking contributions to legislative leaders and a growing network of political action committees.
Recent campaign filings detail the latest wave of political spending by Jeff Yass, donating $16.5 million to his Students First PAC, which then moved:
$2 million to Senate President Kim Ward, the largest single donation Yass has ever made to a Pennsylvania lawmaker
Leadership shuffles and donations to new PACs, including:
$4.2 million to a new PAC called PA Education Choice Fund, led by Howard Rich
$1 million to a new PAC called the PA Capitol PAC, run by Republican House Leader Jesse Topper
Aly Shaw, Research Analyst at LittleSis and member of the All Eyes on Yass coalition, released the following statement:
“Jeff Yass isn’t slowing down his political spending after a record-breaking 2024 cycle. He’s now on pace to spend just as much, if not more, this cycle to buy political influence and rig the rules in his favor.
“With a $2 million check to Senate President Kim Ward, Yass is shoring up a line of defense against Tax Billionaires, Fund PA – a revenue plan gaining momentum in the legislature that would raise $5.5 billion for working people by requiring corporations and billionaires like Yass to pay their fair share.
“Following a series of stinging electoral defeats last cycle, this raises questions about how Yass is reconfiguring his political machine and reshuffling leadership.
“Either way, the pattern is clear: while hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are losing food assistance and healthcare, billionaires like Jeff Yass are writing bigger checks to make sure they never have to sacrifice a thing.”
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Pennsylvanians for Accountability from Yass, Billionaires and Corporations (PAYBAC) Table is a coalition of state-wide organizations that lead the All Eyes on Yass and Tax Billionaires, Fund PA campaigns. The #AllEyesOnYass campaign is led by a diverse coalition of Pennsylvania-wide community organizations that expose the role Pennsylvania billionaire, Jeff Yass, plays in undermining Pennsylvania’s democracy. The coalition is committed to preserving the integrity of our democracy from the outsized influence of billionaires and corporations by taxing the rich and abolishing the uniformity clause, and passing campaign finance limits and lobbying reform bills like a gift ban.
The PAYBAC Table Steering Committee includes ACRE Campaigns, PA Working Families, POWER, PA Stands Up, OnePA, Free the Ballot, Make the Road Action PA, and more.
