Michael Sachs is spending wealth to oppose a candidate in the Chicago school board election.
Posted by unDivided with Brandi Kruse, Checked
- Sources
- 5 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
unDivided with Brandi KruseOct 27, 2026
Sources identify the billionaire donor as Michael Sacks (the post and claim spell it 'Sachs'), and they show him funding Common Ground Collective, whose independent expenditures of more than $5 million target CTU-backed school board candidates, including Hilario Dominguez.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… class that is taking the resources that recreate as workers in this country and redirecting them towards war and away from the needs of regular people. Power is the domination of the state. Elections are being bought and sold by the billionaire class. Right here in Chicago, we're undergoing a school board election where a billionaire, Michael Sachs, is spending all kinds of wealth that he has for stopping the candidate that would actually be supportive of the needs of students in this city. We see the actions of the police in France. The same thing happened here in this country in the uprising in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, where they attempted to shut down the protest movement using their, their power of the state. …
unDivided with Brandi Kruse · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Common Ground Collective's independent expenditure committee, funded mostly by Sacks ($6.4 million from him, per Politico), has spent more than $5 million on school board races, with mailers and digital ads targeting CTU-backed candidates.[1][2][3]
Supports. Chicago Maroon reports that CTU-backed board president candidate Hilario Dominguez says Sacks spent over $3 million attacking him, and that Sacks said he would spend whatever it took to beat him.[4]
Supports. Chalkbeat reports the Common Ground super PAC's spending is largely funded by Sacks and is aimed at candidates endorsed by the CTU, and ABC7 describes Sacks's contributions as supporting candidates running against CTU-endorsed candidates.[3][5]
Context. Sacks is not a candidate himself, and the spending is through a super PAC rather than direct campaign contributions, which the claim does not dispute.[3][5]
Sources
5 sources: 1 tier 2, 4 not rated
- 1Illinois Dems take their show on the roadpolitico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 2Billionaire school board fundraiser donates to Jessica Biggschicagotribune.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 3Super PACs ramp up spending in Chicago’s school board electionschalkbeat.org · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 4TheMaroon's Guide to the Chicago Board of Education Electionschicagomaroon.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Billionaire draws attention in Chicago school board race despite his ...abc7chicago.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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