Other lobbying priorities listed in the new tax filing included campaigning against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which BLM organizers argued did not go far enough in reforming policing. If there are problems with the groups tax filings, there could be civil and criminal liabilities for the people and organizations involved. This story has been shared 102,555 times. The memo notes: Holes in security story: Use in public YT videos.. The foundation said it collected over $90 million in 2020 alone and committed $21.7 million in funding to various BLM chapters and grassroots organizations. In a recent interview, Cullors acknowledged the foundation was ill-prepared to handle the moment. Thanks for contacting us. A month later, Kahn-Cullors announced she wasstepping down from leadershipof the organization and handing the reins over to two other activists, Makani Themba and Monifa Bandele. Why young migrant workers are illegally filling a void in the job market. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast, Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now!TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. The tax filing shows that nearly $6 million was spent on a Los Angeles-area compound. She'll have her pick of white cops and white people to complain about. The California property was purchased for nearly $6 million in cash in October 2020 with money that had been donated to BLMGNF. According to the tax filing, Ms. Cullors also paid the organization back for charter travel, saying that she voluntarily reimbursed subsequent to year end. She also repaid the nonprofit for personal use of its real estate, which appeared to refer to a birthday party for her son held at the $6 million house. I'm gonna leave. Other internal records indicate Cullorss mother was approved for a cleaning job at Campus and that Cullorss sister signed the same kind of nondisclosure agreement as other employees at the property, although its not clear if the sister worked there. Imagine you have the equivalent of a cruise ship with no one at the helm, you have a massive organization, massive amounts of money, no structure, no accountability, no staff, said Ashley Yates, a St. Louis-born activist who was involved with Black Lives Matter nationally in its early years but has since spoken critically about lack of transparency within the group. Additionally, Cullors touched on the calls for transparency within BLM, alleging full disclosure wold put the foundation and its staff in jeopardy. The suit, filed by Black Lives Matter Grassroots, was light on details of the alleged theft of funds, but delved into the fissures within the network of Black Lives Matter groups, charting changes in leadership and power that left Bowers with tight control of the organization. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. BLMGNF raised over $90 million in 2020 alone, according to a February 2021 financial report published by the nonprofit. The only regret I have with B.L.M. An executive at Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (GNF), is accused of "syphoning" more than $10 million from donors, the grassroots arm of the BLM organization said a court filing. Could Alec Baldwin Really Go to Prison for the. In the meantime, contributions to the group have been essentially shut down. We were told that concerns about financial transparency and community accountability were rumours, not a big deal, and whispers from so-called counter-organizers., Tory Russell, a prominent activist in Ferguson, Missouri, said that he felt depressed whenhe learnedabout about the California property. City to Pay Millions to Protesters Kettled by NYPD in 2020. Bowers was hired by Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors in 2020 to help raise and distribute money to groups within the foundation. It would have been great if I had coordinated, not just me, but if a bunch of us have coordinated, 'Hey, all these black-led organizations got a bunch of money. The group found that 2020 protests cost more than any other period of unrest in American history, as the average cost of demonstrations since 1950 has been about $90 million annually. A: No. 'And I think what's been hard is feeling like there isn't room and space for that.'. Even if everything about the house is above board, the general air of secrecy is out of step with the transparency that is expected of charitable ortax-exempt organizations. During the fiscal year covered by the tax form, the only voting board member was Patrisse Cullors, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter. This right-wing offensive not only puts Patrisse, her child and her loved ones in harms way, it also continues a tradition of terror by white supremacists against Black activists. Story tips can be sent to jon.brown@fox.com. Young White Core Americans must make 220 by 2040 a well advertised and well known environmental goal for the population of the USA. "Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) is here to give light and fight for Black liberation," the statement said in part. Republicans are making their 2024 candidates promise to support eventual nominee. The founder of BLM inc. just bought a $1.5 Million compound in Topanga Canyon, the 4th whitest neighborhood in LA BLM raised $90 million last year. BLMGNF, which received more than $90 million in the wake of George Floyds death in 2020, represents the national BLM movement. NEW YORK The foundation widely seen as a steward of the Black Lives Matter movement says it took in just over $90 million last year, according to a . We have seen this tactic of terror time and again, but our movement will not be silenced., In addition to the Topanga Canyon estate, Cullors and her wife, Janaya Khan, also own a custom ranch on 3.2 acres in Conyers, Georgia that boasts an airplane hangar. Controversy surrounding the organization's finances has elicited probes by at least two state attorneys general. Some of America's largest corporations have pledged or donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the main Black Lives Matter organization, founded by "trained Marxists," that calls for. Despite the strength of our movement, this has yet to happen. In February 2021, BLM financial documents revealed. Its not a critique that says what youre doing is illegal or even unethical; it might just be unstrategic. The leader of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has been accused by former colleagues of stealing more than $10 million in donations from the organization for personal use, according to a lawsuit filed in court this week. Cullors, 37, has reportedly purchased four high-end homes for $3.2 million in the U.S. alone, per New York Post, including property in a Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles County for $1.4 million. The global foundation told the AP that $21.7 million was earmarked for grants to official and unofficial BLM chapters around the country, in addition to 30 black-led groups. The foundation had an operating budget of about $4 million, according to a board member. Black Lives Matter has come under fiscal scrutiny since 2020, when the group received $90 million in donations amid protests following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. ", BLMGNF's board of directors denied the allegations in a lengthy statement posted to their website Thursday. As a fledgling nonprofit, it had been under the fiscal sponsorship of a well-established charity, and wasn't required to publicly disclose its financials until it became an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit in December 2020. Among her self-identified mistakes was opting not to take a salary, which Cullors claims fueled the accusations of financial mishandling. That ratio pretty much tells the story right there, Mr. Harold said. And in 2020, a tidal wave of contributions in the aftermath of protests over George Floyds murder by Minneapolis police meant the BLM organization needed much more infrastructure. BLMGNF received backlash following the purchase, including from some of the organization's supporters. He was acquitted in a Senate trial, BLM's lobbying spending for fiscal 2020 is seen above. Patrisse did not receive any compensation after 2019, BLM Global Network said in the statement. After Raising $90 Million in 2020, Black Lives Matter Has $42 Million in Assets The organization offered the first official accounting of its finances recently, disclosing a filing to the. Terms of Service apply. 'We bought it in the middle of the pandemic. This story has been shared 130,838 times. The group informally released a batch of financial information. After accounting for expenses and grant disbursements, the organization said, it had $60 million on hand. This system that gives billion dollar companies millions in hardship funds, when their owners (also billionaires) can afford to use their own wealth instead of public funds is the source of frustration. Read More: Devale Ellis pens childrens book on #BLM: Its my lifes journey. It's not Patrisse Cullors' real estate, it's the organization's real estate.'. Cullors, during Monday's interview, defended the actions she the BLM board's sole voting director and argued that like all people she is subject to human error. Among its larger grants are $2.3million to the Living Through Giving Foundation, a nonprofit charity platform that encourages giving at the local level; and $1.5million to Team Blackbird, LLC, a rapid response communications and movement strategy project that increases the visibility of movement organizations. Two weeks later, a man named Dyane Pascall purchased the seven-bedroom house that would become known as Campus. One of our biggest goals this year is taking the dollars we were able to raise in 2020 and building out the institution weve been trying to build for the last seven and a half years, she said in an interview. We were often scraping for money, and this year was the first year where we were resourced in the way we deserved to be.. A Huge Majority of Voters in George Santoss Own District Think He Should Resign. Despite the hype about Ron DeSantis surging past Donald Trump, both Republicans look unusually strong at this early stage of the presidential race. Play it now! What are we doing with it? On behalf of many activists in the St. Louis area, Im joined by Mike Brown Sr., the father of Mike Brown Jr. Today, we hold Black Lives Matter accountable, said local community organizer Tony Russell. There's a lot of white folks being like, 'We just got to put the money.''. The two notions that the house is simultaneously a confidential refuge and a place for broadcasting to the widest possible audience are somewhat in tension. She serves in this role in a volunteer capacity and does not receive a salary or benefits. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation on Tuesday released a 63-page Form 990, covering the fiscal year from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, BLM spent $6million on a Los Angeles mansion, according to the filings, The new filing also revealed paid the foundation $390 over her uses of the 6,500 square-foot Studio City property in Los Angeles for two private events, Cullors has repeatedly denied claims that she took money from BLM for personal matters and has reiterated that all the purchases and transactions - including the lavish 6,500 square-foot Studio City property home - were legitimate. In February 2021, BLMGN disclosed it had raised $90 million in donations in 2020. We never actually started in the position, so we never received any detailed information, Themba told the Examiner. The filing also shows that BLMGNF co-founder Patrisse Cullors was the group's only voting director for the period in question, and held no board meetings. The disclosures had contributed to the idea that there is a disturbing gap between the fortunes of the movements most visible figures and on-the-ground activists across the country, and Cullors resigned as executive director of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation on May 27, within a few days of the patio chat. How prosecutors made one of the hottest rap stars the face of urban crime. 'You know, contrary to what, you know, has been reported, much of the funding that came in was from individual donors. The Post report sparked debate on social media among BLM supporters and critics of Cullors. Khan was not an officer of the account or officer of the company. During the last fiscal year, Cullors was the foundation board's sole voting director and held no board meetings, according to the filing. Legal Statement. On a sunny day late last spring, three leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Melina Abdullah sat around a table on the patio of an expensive house in Southern California. The median home price has cooled off to $790,000, a notable drop from last year's price of $925,000, Redfin data showed." Internal emails dating to 2016 show activists voicing concern about how donations were being spent and how the organization was being run, and frustrations only continued to mount. Download theGrio today! The group informally released a batch of financial information in February 2021, when it said it had taken in more than $90 million in 2020 and still had $60 million on hand. She also addressed allegations that she personally benefited from the foundation's purchase of the $6 million California property, whichwas intended to be a 'media creation space' for BLM, a campus for a black artists fellowship and a home for activists. It had an operating budget of about $4 million. At the time, a spokesperson for BLMGNF said Kahn-Cullors compensation for herseveralyears in the organization totaled $120,000. Kara Swisher talks with the Council on Foreign Relations president about Bidens spy-balloon-size missed opportunity. It reported receiving $90 million in donations last year, the most it had ever raised in a year. Black Lives Matter (BLM) moved millions of dollars to a charity in Canada run by the wife of co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors to purchase a mansion that used to be the headquarters of the. The group's lobbying budget for last year accounted for 3.4 percent of the$37 million it spent last year, with the bulk of the funds splashed out on grants, real estate, consultants, and other expenses. Mike Browns father, Ferguson organizers request $20M from BLM, Devale Ellis pens childrens book on #BLM: Its my lifes journey, Tensions erupt near Minneapolis after police kill 20-year-old Duante Wright, BLM founder Patrisse Cullors $1.4M home draws criticism, call for investigation, Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. "If you go around calling yourself a socialist, you have to ask how much of . A Massachusetts woman who accidentally tossed out a $1 million lottery ticket eventually collected her winnings thanks to the kindness and honesty of the owners of the convenience store where she . NYPD's use of vehicle stops shows that police pulled over hundreds of thousands of drivers last year and about 90% of the people searched or arrested in those . BLMGNF has since retained the high-profile Democratic lawyer Marc Elias and maneuvered to get more time to formally submit data from 2020 by switching from calendar-year to fiscal-year tracking. US Corporations' September 30th fiscal payment deadline Sep 30, 2023 USA Each year around that time, as the payment deadline approaches, we see all sorts of maneuvers. It incurred $8.4 million in operating expenses, distributed $21.7 million in grants to more than 30 organizations, and retained some. 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