Funding for Activist Groups Under Scrutiny Following Trump’s Call for Charges
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, President Trump called for charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) against financier George Soros and his son, Alexander Soros.
“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America,” the president wrote. He further stated that Soros and his “group of psychopaths” have “caused great damage to our Country.”
The RICO Act, originally designed to combat organized crime, allows for the prosecution of leaders who orchestrate criminal activities as part of an ongoing enterprise. For a RICO charge to be successful, prosecutors must demonstrate a “pattern of racketeering activity,” which includes a list of specific crimes.
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According to a recent analysis shared with the NY Post, several organizations, including George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, have contributed over $20 million to groups involved in protests against President Trump’s crime initiatives in Washington, D.C. One such group, Free DC, a “fiscally sponsored special project” of the progressive nonprofits Community Change and Community Change Action, organized a demonstration near the White House to protest Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops and federalize the city’s police department.
Free DC lists “Do not obey in advance” and “Take up space” among its “guiding principles,” the Post reported. The group has also scheduled events like a “Cop Watch Training,” suggesting further protests are planned in response to Trump’s efforts to increase law enforcement presence and remove homeless encampments from public spaces.
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Community Change and Community Change Action, the groups supporting Free DC’s activism, have received millions of dollars in donations from various sources, including George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, the Tides Foundation, and the Arabella Advisors network, according to an analysis shared with The Post.
The claim that Soros’s foundations directly pay or organize protestors has been a recurring one.
A spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations has explicitly denied this, stating, “Open Society does not pay protestors. We never, and will never, coordinate, train, or strategize with protest organizers or participants.” The foundation affirms its support for the right to peaceful protest as a fundamental democratic principle.
The assertion that this funding constitutes a “pattern of racketeering activity” under the RICO Act would require legal authorities to prove a direct link between the grants and illegal acts, such as inciting violence.
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