evidence: Despite its track record, the view of ERIC began to darken in January 2022. That’s when the Gateway Pundit, a conservative website that often spreads misinformation, published an article falsely stating that ERIC was funded by George Soros, a liberal billionaire at the center of multiple conspiracy theories. [...] These member states — not Soros — fund ERIC and serve on the board. New members pay a one-time fee of $25,000 and annual dues ranging from about $26,000 to $116,000. States spend additional money to send mailers to eligible but unregistered citizens, an ERIC requirement. [...] Alabama secretary of state candidate state Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, soon vowed to pull his state out of the partnership, too. He called ERIC a "leftist group" and repeated the false narrative that Soros funded the effort. Allen’s attack quickly drew a response from then-Republican Secretary of State John Merrill, who was not seeking reelection.