"A new report released today by the American Justice Partnership reveals that radical progressive billionaire George Soros has spent some $45 million in recent years on efforts to make sure voters have little or no say in those who are candidates to judge them.

The report, done by attorney Colleen Pero, was introduced today at an event held by the Heritage Foundation, and identified $45 million Soros, who funds a large range of left-wing action groups, spent to "remake the judiciary and fundamentally change the way judges are selected in the United States.

"This movement to end citizen participation in state judicial elections has been moving swiftly and silently, below the radar of the citizens who would be impacted by Mr. Soros' millions," said Pero in a statement about her report, "and it was time to bring this effort to the public's attention."

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The American Justice Partnership explained that 39 states now have some form of judicial elections that provide judges are held accountable to the people they serve. However, Soros' goal has been to convert the procedures into various "merit" selection processes, which mostly have a special panel, often appointed and frequently political, choose a slate of candidates from which someone, such as a governor, would appoint a judge.

"Under 'merit selection,' the power to select judges is transferred from the people (or their elected representatives) to a small commission that is unelected by voters, unaccountable to anyone and comprised primarily of legal elites," the AJP said. "The commissions typically meet in secret with proceedings closed to the public." [....]

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