MLS · Los Angeles · Rating: 5 / 9 · Mixed
Owner: LAFC ownership group (Larry Berg, Bennett Rosenthal of Ares Management, and others)
Alignment: LAFC has one of the largest ownership groups in MLS, including Ares Management co-founders Larry Berg and Bennett Rosenthal alongside celebrity investors. The Athletic reporting on MLS owner political donations highlighted a disconnect: clubs back high-visibility social causes while individual owners give to both parties. With LAFC operating in deep-blue Los Angeles and the team featuring prominent Pride and immigrant-rights programming, the franchise leans liberal in public conduct while ownership giving is mixed.
Summary
LAFC has one of the largest ownership groups in MLS, including Ares Management co-founders Larry Berg and Bennett Rosenthal alongside celebrity investors. The Athletic reporting on MLS owner political donations highlighted a disconnect: clubs back high-visibility social causes while individual owners give to both parties. With LAFC operating in deep-blue Los Angeles and the team featuring prominent Pride and immigrant-rights programming, the franchise leans liberal in public conduct while ownership giving is mixed.
Claims & Sources
Claim 1: The Athletic investigated MLS owners political donations and the disconnect with team-level social causes
Sources: The Athletic — Disconnect: As MLS teams back social causes, owners donations
Claim 2: LA Times investigation of LA sports team owners political contributions in the 2020 election cycle covered LAFC ownership
Sources: Los Angeles Times — How L.A. sports team owners contributed to 2020 election