In retrospect, counting on Republicans to honor your legacy might be a mistake
The foundation that was entrusted to give a leadership award for women by Ruth Bader Ginsburg shortly before her death decided to honor several people who were both not women and reactionary cranks and/or convicted felons:
An award given in the name of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been abruptly canceled after the family of the late Supreme Court justice and others objected that this year’s slate of recipients do not reflect her values.
The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation last week announced that it would award the prize to Elon Musk, Martha Stewart, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Milken and Sylvester Stallone. Critics couldn’t help but observe that these “five iconic individuals” — as the awards news release described them — included among them convicted felons and conservative billionaires who own right-wing media enterprises.
In a seven-paragraph statement released Monday afternoon, Julie Opperman — chairperson of the foundation named after her late husband — addressed the criticism that erupted in the wake of the announcement.
“The Foundation is not interested in creating controversy. It is not interested in generating a debate about whether particular honorees are worthy or not. And while Justice Ginsburg’s concept of EQUALITY for women was very controversial for most of her life, the Foundation does not intend to enter the fray. Indeed, Justice Ginsburg was known for her civility,” Opperman wrote.
You don’t want to honor Rupert Murdoch — why do you oppose EQUALITY? CHECKMATE PERSON WHO DONATED THE MONEY FOR THIS AWARD!
As for how this happened, the mystery is very easily solved:
Ginsburg was longtime friends with Dwight Opperman, who served as president of West Publishing Co., which created the online research service Westlaw. He and Julie Opperman married in 2008. He died in 2013.
“Neither of his two sons nor any other biological relative is involved with the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation,” Vance Opperman, the son of Dwight Opperman and his first wife Jeanice, told The Post. He added that none of his biological family is in touch with Julie Opperman and that they were “unhappy to have their names associated with this.”
As criticism of the event grew last week, the Library of Congress — recipient of Opperman Foundation gifts of $425,000 in 2022 and $625,000 in 2020, according to tax records — released a statement clarifying that it would serve only as “venue” and that “the award is not otherwise affiliated with the Library.”
Federal Election Commission records show that Julie Opperman has donated more than $200,000 to Republican politicians and organizations since 2014.
The first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.