The Department of Justice opened a fraud investigation into Black Lives Matter, according to multiple reports. The DOJ is looking into whether leaders of the organization defrauded donors during racial justice protests in 2020.
BLM investigation
Federal law enforcement issued subpoenas and served at least one search warrant in the investigation, according to The Associated Press.
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Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. said they took in about $90 million following the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests.
One of the sources who spoke to the AP reportedly said this investigation began during the Biden administration and is now getting renewed, while another confirmed the allegations were looked at by Biden’s DOJ.
Leaders of the foundation were among those who received subpoenas. A statement emailed to the AP said the foundation “is not a target of any federal criminal investigation.”
“We remain committed to full transparency, accountability, and the responsible stewardship of resources dedicated to building a better future for Black communities,” the statement continued.
The DOJ has yet to file criminal charges, and it’s unclear if the investigation will result in that.
Prior allegations
This isn’t the first time there’s been allegations against the organization and the movement.
Critics accused organizers of not being transparent on spending, especially after purchasing a $6 million home in the Los Angeles area in 2022.
A dinner party helped ease those accusations. Movement leaders brought in some people who accused BLM of using their loved one’s names to raise money.
That purchase did lead to a lawsuit that same year, also accusing BLM of fraud. However, a judge dismissed that suit one year later, saying local BLM activists failed to prove why they were entitled to the money or that movement leaders had taken money for personal gain.
Movement leaders previously denied any accusations of wrongdoing and released tax records. No previous investigations found any proof of criminality.
Investigation concerns
The investigation comes at a time where civil rights leaders are concerned they could be targeted by the Trump administration.
Leading this latest investigation is Bill Essayli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, in Los Angeles.
He’s a previous GOP congressman in California and has aggressively prosecuted people who have protested President Donald Trump’s ramped up immigration enforcement efforts in the state. As a private attorney, he called BLM a “radical organization” and represented a white couple charged with defacing a BLM mural in Martinez, California, in 2020.
