(NewsGlobal.com)- A Texas billionaire named John Arnold has funded multiple censorship groups to combat the spread of “misinformation” and “disinformation,” according to Newsmax. The billionaire has reportedly donated more than $13.7 million through his LLC, Arnold Ventures, which he began with his wife.
Five groups dedicated to stopping “misinformation” have received the former Enron executive’s donations. Conservatives are reportedly often critical of these efforts because they see it as a way to censor those with politically disagreeable views.
The company reportedly manages finances for several Arnold-affiliated organizations and gave away more than $409 million in grants last year.
Arnold Ventures claims that “the rise of disinformation” has “threatened to undermine” journalism. $9.7 million went to the American Journalism Project (AJP) between 2019 and 2021. The AJP invests in local news nonprofits and has also received $4.2 million from the Democracy Fund, which is another organization established to fight against “misinformation and disinformation.”
“In the absence of trusted news sources, we see targeted disinformation campaigns, including efforts to spread misinformation through social networks and websites masquerading as news brands,” the AJP states on its website.
The Democracy Fund was developed from the New Venture Fund, which was created by Arabella Advisors. Arabella is reportedly the largest liberal dark money network in the country. Arnold Ventures has donated more than $13.5 million to the New Venture Fund.
Scott Walter, president of Capital Research Center, a conservative investigative think tank said that Arnold began his philanthropy career many years ago and was inspired by many conservative and left-wing causes but noted that he was always moving progressively to the left.
The company has previously donated $45 million for criminal justice reform in New York that Republicans allege caused an increase in the state’s already spiking crime.
The company also collaborated with Facebook in 2018 to look at democracy and elections, and the social media platform’s “ability to fight the spread of misinformation and foreign interference.”
