MLS · Kansas City · Rating: 7 / 9 · Aligned
Owner: Sporting Club ownership group (Cliff Illig, Robb Heineman and others)
Alignment: Sporting Kansas City was identified by The Pitch as one of the biggest donor groups behind former Kansas Republican Governor Sam Brownback, with the team’s lead owners among his largest individual contributors. Combined with the Kansas City market’s mixed-to-conservative political character and the absence of high-visibility progressive activism, ownership giving puts the franchise on the Aligned side.
Summary
Sporting Kansas City was identified by The Pitch as one of the biggest donor groups behind former Kansas Republican Governor Sam Brownback, with the team’s lead owners among his largest individual contributors. Combined with the Kansas City market’s mixed-to-conservative political character and the absence of high-visibility progressive activism, ownership giving puts the franchise on the Aligned side.
Claims & Sources
Claim 1: The Pitch reported Sporting Kansas City and its owners were among the biggest Sam Brownback campaign donors
Sources: The Pitch — Sporting Kansas City and its owners among the biggest Brownback donors
Claim 2: The Guardian database of US sports owners political donations details MLS ownership giving including Sporting KC
Sources: The Guardian — US sports owners political donations database