EMILY ARROWOOD: Media Matters – November 20, 2012 5:48 PM EST
Fox News is harping on the right-wing myth that philanthropist George Soros is behind MoveOn.org to falsely accuse him of directing people to protest at Walmart on Black Friday, the busy shopping day after Thanksgiving.
Many Walmart employees and their allies have been protesting over labor conditions at Walmart and are planning to do so again on Black Friday. While MoveOn did send an email urging recipients to support the Black Friday protests, it asked them to sign a petition, not attend the events, and MoveOn says that Soros made only one donation to the organization in 2004.
Discussing the subject on America Live, Fox business contributor Stuart Varney claimed that “George Soros, through MoveOn.org, has sent out an email nationwide urging everybody who has an interest in this to turn up at a Walmart on Friday and demonstrate.”
According to MoveOn, Soros has not contributed to the organization in more than eight years, since he made a donation in 2004 to an election-related initiative that no longer exists.
MoveOn’s email encouraging people to sign the petition supporting the protesters contains no mention of Soros. Varney’s statement echoes a claim in a Daily Caller article that quotes portions of the MoveOn email. Like Varney, the Daily Caller failed to support its assertion that Soros is involved.
The right-wing media have mounted an endless effort to demonize Soros, a financier who has donated to liberal causes.
Read MoveOn’s email supporting Walmart workers (click to enlarge):
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