For years, many conservatives have been begging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after Black Lives Matter (BLM) for fraud.
In more recent years, however, some local communities that should have benefited from BLM's fundraising have also been asking some hard questions.
Cases have trickled in before, but now the DOJ has launched a fraud investigation into the organization, so it will be fun to watch Democrats and liberals melt down over it.
Fraud in BLM is nothing new, as there have been numerous cases filed against the organization since it gained notoriety during the George Floyd riots of 2020.
For example, a year ago, Sir Maejor Page was convicted and sentenced for wire fraud. Page ran “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta,” having conned donors out of $450,000.
U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio stated, “Mr. Page took advantage of a cause meant to fight social injustices, using it instead to line his own pockets with thousands of dollars of donations.”
The statement continued, “People donate their hard-earned money to support causes they believe in, and when a fraudster like Page comes along and tries to get away with a fake charity scheme, it hurts legitimate nonprofit organizations that rely on the generosity of others to advance their missions and make positive change in the world. This Office will hold accountable those who try to profit by scamming unsuspecting people out of their money like Page did here.”
Earlier this year, Monica Cannon-Grant, who was running a group affiliated with BLM, Violence in Boston (VIB), pleaded guilty to defrauding her donors.
According to the files, Cannon-Grant was using donor money to fund an extravagant lifestyle.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley explained, “[Cannon-Grant] repeatedly scammed multiple public financial programs and stole money donated by members of the public who believed their donations would aid in reducing violence and promote social awareness.”
She continued, “Instead, Cannon-Grant used donations to satisfy her own greed, while falsely portraying herself as a legitimate nonprofit organizer. She betrayed the trust of everyone who donated and the public who supported her fraudulent charity.”
A report surfaced late Thursday from the Associated Press that multiple subpoenas and at least one warrant had been issued in an investigation of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc., as well as other groups that were fundraising off the George Floyd riots.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California is reportedly leading the investigation, which is being headed by prosecutor Bill Essayli.
If you can believe this, the investigation was reportedly initiated when Joe Biden was in office, but the pace of the probe has picked up considerably since Attorney General Pam Bondi took over the agency. But the key here is to remember that it got started under Biden, a fact that contradicts the argument that Trump and Bondi are targeting the president’s enemies.
BLM took in more than $90 million in donations after Floyd’s death, but we have repeatedly seen local community leaders complaining that they have seen little, if any, of the money injected into their communities. This investigation is a long time coming, and I cannot wait to see its results.
