Soros Fund Management, the private investment management fund of George Soros, is generally very "left-leaning" and supportive of Democratic candidates, but sometimes the far-left financiers of the Soros Fund give to candidates who have an "(R)" next to their name.

Earlier this week, I took a look at the Koch Brothers and examined some instances in which the partisan narrative doesn't exactly match up with reality– though they are often perceived as partisan Republicans, Koch Industries has give money to a handful of Democratic politicians over the years.

And the more they align with Koch values, which are not always doctrinaire Republican (e.g. open borders, increased immigration, drug decriminalization, gay marriage, the right to choose), but sometimes are (e.g. financial deregulation and lower corporate tax rates), the more happy Koch Industries and the various arms of the Koch network are to fork over cash for campaign advertising.

According to the public FEC donation records made available on OpenSecrets.org, for the 2018 midterm election cycle, Soros Fund Management has totaled nearly $207,000 in donations, and for the most part the money is going to Democrats like Claire McCaskill, Tim Kaine, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Elizabeth Warren.

But a few Republicans are being favored by campaign contributions as well. That includes U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), who's received $5,000 in contributions; U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who's also received $5,000 in campaign donations; U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), who's also bagged a cool five grand from Soros Fund Management; and even Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who's been given $2,500 towards his reelection campaign; and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who's received $1,000.

In case you didn't know it, political contributions by individuals, companies, and private organizations are public data collected and published by the FEC, and OpenSecrets.org is a project of the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Responsive Politics, that makes that information available in an easy-to-navigate platform.

The Center was founded in 1983 by two retired U.S. senators– Frank Church, a Democrat from Idaho, and Hugh Scott a Republican from Pennsylvania. OpenSecrets is an important tool for the discerning voter to spend the few minutes it takes to see where political campaign donations are coming from and who they're going to.

Independent voters are discerning – that's why they don't vote straight party line on every ballot. They make the determination for themselves as to which candidate they prefer. Following the money is as important in making this determination as checking voting records, past career achievements, and researching public statements candidates have made about public policy.

One important thing to remember with powerhouse billionaires like George Soros and David Koch is that while their donations may seem entirely partisan and maybe even strictly ideological, they have an enormous stake in their own special interests as private business magnates. They may have picked a team to play for, but in the end they are buying influence in Congress to make sure policies swing their way when possible to protect the lucrative profits of their businesses– or at least don't swing against them too hard.

George Soros is in the news today for co-authoring an op-ed titled, "A Better Bailout Was Possible," in which he argues Congress should have written mortgages down to adjust for the actual market value of the real estate properties, and then injected capital into struggling financials for an equity stake in these banks, effectively nationalizing them.

For one independent author's take on the 2007-2008 financial crisis in the housing and loans market, check out: "It’s Been Ten Years Since The Wall Street Financial Crisis," here on IVN.

Photo Credit: Alexandros Michailidis / shutterstock.com