The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether leaders of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation misused donations totaling tens of millions of dollars during the racial justice protests of 2020, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press.
Federal officials have recently issued subpoenas and served at least one search warrant as part of the inquiry, which also involves other Black-led organizations that played key roles in nationwide protests over systemic racism. Sources told the AP that the investigation began during the Biden administration but has drawn renewed attention under the Trump administration. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the probe on Thursday.
The investigation centers on allegations that the foundation, which received over $90 million in donations following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, may have improperly allocated funds. Critics have raised concerns over transparency, particularly after foundation leaders purchased a $6 million Los Angeles-area property in 2022. Leaders have consistently denied wrongdoing and have publicly released tax documents. The foundation emphasized in a statement to the AP that it “is not a target of any federal criminal investigation” and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability.
Several local BLM chapters, which operate independently from the foundation, have previously voiced disagreement with how donations were managed by the central organization. The decentralized structure of the movement, established after its founding in 2013, has led to multiple affiliated groups handling contributions separately from the national foundation.
The latest Form 990 filing shows that the foundation had $28 million in assets for the fiscal year ending June 2024. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in Los Angeles is overseeing the investigation. Bill Essayli, the office’s top prosecutor, has been a controversial figure due to his conservative background and previous public statements criticizing BLM and other progressive causes.
The AP reported that while no prior investigations into the foundation’s finances have yielded evidence of wrongdoing, the renewed federal inquiry adds scrutiny to the organization at a politically sensitive time, as civil rights and left-leaning groups express concern about potential targeting by federal authorities. Past state-level probes, including a 2022 lawsuit by Indiana’s attorney general, were resolved without penalties after the foundation provided requested documentation.
The investigation highlights ongoing tensions over accountability and transparency in nonprofit organizations that emerged at the forefront of social justice movements, even as their leaders have publicly defended their stewardship of donated funds.
