DELAYED DISCLOSURE: A Wisconsin Democrat running for Congress as a working-class waitress was on the payroll of two left-leaning organizations tied to George Soros' Open Society Foundation — and voters didn't find out until two days after the primary.
Rebecca Cooke's personal… pic.twitter.com/StyPHMeEdH
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) August 29, 2026
. The Anointed One, @RebeccaforWI has been flat out lying about who she is for YEARS.
She cosplays a hard scrabble waitress while raking in serious cash as a political consultant.
She will do anything for power, this should scare the hell out of everyone.
Remember in November https://t.co/YazklTZW5i
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) August 29, 2026
. The Anointed One, @RebeccaforWI has been flat out lying about who she is for YEARS.
She cosplays a hard scrabble waitress while raking in serious cash as a political consultant.
She will do anything for power, this should scare the hell out of everyone.
Remember in November https://t.co/YazklTZW5i
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) August 29, 2026
Cooke Wins The Primary, Then The Paperwork Arrives
Rebecca Cooke won the Democrat primary this week in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, a plus-3 Republican district, and she is now set for a November rematch against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a retired Navy SEAL. Cooke defeated former Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge with about 60 percent of the vote in the August 11 primary. Her campaign pitch leaned hard into the image of a working-class waitress, and in a recent ad she closed by saying, “We need real working people in Washington. And that’s why I approve of this message.” That is a fine slogan, of course, but politics has a funny way of turning simple slogans into homework assignments, especially once the financial forms finally show up.
The Disclosure Was Delayed Until After Voters Cast Ballots
According to Fox News, Cooke requested a 90-day extension from the Clerk of the House on April 24, moving her personal financial disclosure deadline from May 15 to August 13. That matters because the Wisconsin primary was held on August 11, meaning voters did not see the disclosure until two days after they voted. House candidates who raise or spend more than $5,000 are expected to file a personal financial disclosure so voters can review financial ties before Election Day. Call me old-fashioned, but if a candidate is selling herself as the voice of working people, voters might want to know who else has been signing checks before they pull the lever.
The Filing Shows Payments From Soros-Tied Groups
When the disclosure was finally filed, it showed Cooke received compensation from two left-leaning organizations connected to George Soros’ Open Society funding network: the Pipeline Fund and Third Way, according to Fox News. The document covered January 1, 2025, through July 14, 2026, and listed more than $5,000 apiece from Third Way and the Pipeline Fund. The filing described her work with both organizations as “fellowships,” but did not give the precise amount of compensation from either group. Third Way reportedly confirmed Cooke received $30,000 for a project described as focused on “elevating the voices and concerns of working-class Americans.” Apparently, even “elevating voices” comes with a pretty healthy invoice.
Third Way’s Open Society Connection Raises More Questions
Fox News also reported that Third Way’s nonprofit research arm, the Third Way Institute, received two $500,000 grants from the Foundation to Promote Open Society, one in 2023 and another in 2024. That foundation is part of the Open Society network founded and financed by billionaire Democrat megadonor George Soros. The Pipeline Fund was also described by Fox News as an organization that works to elect progressive candidates and has received millions from Soros-linked networks. None of this fits neatly inside the campaign brochure version of a humble waitress fighting the big-money machine. In Washington politics, the “little guy” act often seems to come with a donor map, a consulting title, and a very convenient filing extension.
Van Orden Says Cooke Built A False Political Persona
Rep. Derrick Van Orden did not hold back after the disclosure surfaced. According to the Fox News report, Van Orden said Cooke was “willing to deceive her own party to protect the political persona she built and gain political power.” On X, Van Orden wrote that “The Anointed One, @RebeccaforWI, has been flat out lying about who she is for YEARS,” adding that she “cosplays a hard scrabble waitress while raking in serious cash as a political consultant” and warning voters to “Remember in November.” That is the fight now heading into the general election: Cooke’s working-class campaign image on one side, and a financial disclosure full of progressive organization payments on the other.
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