Wisconsin Democratic congressional nominee Rebecca Cooke disclosed payments from two organizations funded in part by George Soros’ Open Society network two days after winning her party’s Aug. 11 primary.
Cooke, who has built her campaign around her background as a dairy farmer’s daughter and working-class waitress, reported receiving more than $5,000 each from the Pipeline Fund and Third Way between January 2025 and mid-July 2026. Third Way later confirmed that it paid Cooke $30,000 for research and a project intended to elevate working-class perspectives, according to Fox News.
The Pipeline Fund said Cooke worked as a contractor in 2025 to help working-class people, women and other underrepresented candidates run for office.
Tax records show the Pipeline Fund received $1.4 million from the Open Society Action Fund and more than $2 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2024 after separating from the larger liberal nonprofit. Third Way’s research arm received $500,000 from the Foundation to Promote Open Society in both 2023 and 2024.
Cooke requested a 90-day extension in April that allowed her to delay filing the disclosure until after the primary. Opponents in both parties had urged her to release the information before voters cast their ballots.
Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, whom Cooke will face in a November rematch in Wisconsin’s competitive 3rd Congressional District, said the delay showed she was “willing to deceive her own party to protect the political persona she built.” The National Republican Congressional Committee called Cooke a paid operative for far-left organizations.
Cooke said she has always worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. In addition to waitressing, she said she participated in projects intended to help more working-class people seek office and researched ways for political candidates to connect with those voters. She also said she is among thousands of district residents who cannot afford health insurance while campaigning full-time.
Earlier disclosures showed modest waitressing wages, rental income from two properties and consulting revenue through Cooke Strategy LLC. The firm received more than $190,000 from Democratic campaigns between 2015 and 2021.
Cooke defeated Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge by a 60 percent-to-40 percent margin in the Democratic primary. She has raised more than $8.6 million this election cycle ahead of a general-election race rated as a toss-up.
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