Whitney Tymas is a left-leaning lawyer and political activist who advocates for radical criminal justice reforms. [1] She is the president and treasurer of the Justice and Safety PAC, a collection of more than 20 similarly named political action committees (PACs) at the federal and state levels for the purpose of supporting left-leaning district attorneys. [2] [3]
Tymas has previously commented that African Americans remain “unfree” and claimed “racial injustice” is ever present and underpins American history. [4] Tymas has also commented how Justice and Safety PACs are “leveling the playing field” in prosecutors’ races across the country because local prosecutors’ offices hold the power to curtail police abuses of power. [5] [6]
Previously, Tymas was the director of the prosecution and racial justice program at the left-of-center Vera Institute of Justice and senior attorney for the National District Attorneys Association. [7]
Career
Whitney Tymas is currently the president and treasurer of Justice and Safety PAC and has acted as a political organizer for the PAC since 2015. [8] [9] In this role, she leads a network of “safety and justice” PACs, a collection of more than 20 similarly named PACs at the federal and state level funded by George Soros, to support left-leaning district attorney candidates. [10]
Previously Tymas was the director of the prosecution and racial justice program at the left-of-center Vera Institute of Justice, a senior attorney for the National District Attorneys Association, and the chair of Maricopa Strong, which opposed controversial then-Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R). [11] [12]
She has been on the board of directors for left-of-center advocacy groups Way to Win and the Civic Participation Action Fund (CPAF). [13] [14]
Safety and Justice PACs
In her role as president of the Justice and Safety PAC, Whitney Tymas has “directed Soros’ efforts in their campaigns” in many states and municipalities as a part of the “first sustained national effort of its type to engage in tough fights” in district attorney elections across the country. [15] [16]
Tymas’s PACs have supported left-wing candidates in several high-profile races including:
- The 2020 re-election campaign of Cook County (IL) State’s Attorney General Kim Foxx (D), where Illinois Justice and Public Safety PAC received $2 million from George Soros’s Democracy PAC [17]
- The campaign of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D), where Tymas worked as treasurer of Philadelphia Justice and Public Safety PAC and director of the Pennsylvania Justice and Public Safety PAC [18]
- The contested campaign of St. Louis (MO) Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner (D); and the contested Commonwealth’s Attorney elections in Arlington and Alexandria County, Virginia, with the Justice and Public Safety PAC. [19]
Tymas is the director or treasurer for state-level “Justice and Safety” PACs, including Arizona Safety & Justice, California Safety & Justice, Colorado Safety & Justice PAC, Florida Safety and Justice, Georgia Safety and Justice, Mississippi Justice & Public Safety PAC, Missouri Justice and Public Safety PAC, Nevada Law & Justice PAC, New Mexico Safety and Justice PAC, New York Justice & Safety PAC, Oregon Law & Justice PAC, and Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]
Political Contributions
Whitney Tymas has made Federal Election Commission-reportable contributions to numerous Democratic Party-affiliated candidates, committees, and organizations. Since 2016 she has contributed to the 2020 presidential campaign of Joe Biden (D); the failed 2016 presidential bid of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); and the campaigns of Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and former Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). [29] She has also contributed to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Party of Virginia, the anti-Trump Need to Impeach super PAC, Let America Vote PAC, Color of Change PAC, left-of-center MoveOn.org Political Action, The Action PAC – Unlimited, and the Democratic Attorneys General Association. [30]
Personal Information
Whitney Tymas holds a B.A. from Barnard College and received a J.D. from New York University School of Law. [31] [32] She resides in Richmond, Virginia. [33]