The Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC) has formally requested an investigation into the financial activities of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and its affiliated organizations. In a letter addressed to Members of Congress and State Attorney Generals, CPAC expressed concern over how the $99 billion in donations, received by BLM and related causes, has been used. The conservative group is urging lawmakers to hold hearings to investigate whether any of the funds have been used to “fund or promote terrorism domestically and across the globe.”
The call for investigation comes after BLM-affiliated groups voiced support for the recent actions of Hamas, which led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians in Israel. CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp noted, “Their support remains even as up to 150 hostages, including American citizens, are being held captive.” CPAC alleges that the support from BLM-affiliated groups for such actions should not be surprising given their previous statements against Israel. The letter quoted BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, who in a 2015 speech at Harvard Law School said, “if we don’t step up boldly and courageously to end the imperialist project called Israel, we’re doomed.”
CPAC, self-described as “the nation’s original conservative grassroots organization,” has been an active supporter of Israel. The group has hosted events featuring conservatives from both the U.S. and Israel. In the letter, they outright reject what they describe as BLM’s antisemitism and question if the movement has “in any way, funded the terrorist actions against Israel.”
Schlapp urged that “there has been a major failure on behalf of the media to investigate and hold the shadow-network of Leftist extremist groups to account for how the money was spent.” He criticized the media for not probing deeper into how BLM and affiliated organizations have allocated their massive influx of funds, particularly in the aftermath of the summer 2020 protests that caused a record-setting $2 billion in damages.
The letter concludes with a call to action for both Congress and State Attorney Generals. CPAC is pushing for immediate reviews of BLM-affiliated groups operating in various states and their potential ties to terrorism. They also call on Members of Congress to “begin holding hearings to investigate if any of the $99 billion has been used to fund or promote terrorism.”