Progressives across Pennsylvania have spent years warning about Jeffrey Yass’ sway over state politics, and now, one of his top operatives is boasting about the influence Pennsylvania’s richest billionaire has over the Republican Party.
Matt Brouillette, president and CEO of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, bragged about the control his organization, which is largely funded by Yass, has over Republican Party leadership.
“Our issues are now the Republican Party’s issues, and the party leadership is looking to us,” Brouillette said on a podcast hosted by conservative activist Kevin Gentry.
He added: “Even the party chairman is a good friend that we are in collaboration with because we recognize that these are the good policies that Pennsylvania needs, and that working together, we can advance them and, and make Pennsylvania a place that is a destination, not a place people are leaving.”
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Brouillette’s organization receives a large portion of its political spending from Jeffrey Yass, who has a net worth of over $77 billion thanks to his investments in ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company.
Spotlight PA reported that Yass moves his money through political action committees (PACs) controlled by Brouillette to help elect Republican candidates. Those PACs are the Commonwealth Leaders Fund and the Commonwealth Children’s Choice Fund.
In 2024, Yass transferred more than $13.4 million from his Students First PAC to the Commonwealth Leaders Fund, and $1.2 million to the Commonwealth Children’s Choice Fund. The billionaire also gave $2.4 million to the Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
Campaign finance reports show that Yass has moved $20.5 million into his Students First PAC for the 2026 legislative races, with $4 million going to Brouillette’s committee.
According to All Eyes on Yass, the billionaire has spent more than $75 million on Pennsylvania elections since 2017, and his funding accounts for more than 90% of the money Brouillette’s PACs have raised.
In northeastern Pennsylvania, People Power Pennsylvania, a progressive-leaning political action committee, spent between $15,000 and $20,000 to tie Yass to his investments in artificial intelligence.
“It’s no surprise that Jeffrey Yass’s intervention into elections has led to the state Republican party doing what he and other Big Tech companies want,” Steve Paul, Executive Director of One Pennsylvania, said in a statement.
One Pennsylvania is a progressive organization that is part of the “Tax Billionaires, Fund PA” coalition calling for accountability on Big Tech.
He added, “big corporations and wealthy donors get what they want, and the rest of us are left struggling for the basics of daily living. For us, Pennsylvania isn’t a destination; it’s where we already live, work, go to school, and raise our families. It’s about time that Harrisburg politicians pass policies that support us, not their billionaire handlers like Jeffrey Yass.”
