Black Lives Matter Executives Deny Rumors That Funds Were Misused 'It’s Just Not True'
Black Lives Matter executives denied allegations against them that the funds gained from donations were misused on personal expenses during a closed round table discussion on Monday.
The call for the discussion comes following recent reports regarding the foundation and its finances, including an article in New York Magazine which disclosed the purchase of a $6 million home in Southern California in October 2020, reportedly made with donated funds.
“It just isn’t true. Our largest donor base, previous to me resigning, was always small dollar donors,” Patrisse Cullors, co-founder and former executive director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation said. Cullors was named executive director of BLM in July 2020 but left last spring.
“It’s just not true that millions were poured in. At most, our budget was at $1.4” million,” Cullors added.
Those numbers come after the organization told the Associated Press in 2021 that they had taken in just over $90 million in donations the previous year.
The BLM executives at the discussion included Cullors and Melina Abdullah, co-founder of BLM Los Angeles and co-director of BLM Grassroots.
Cullors explained that the million-dollar property was purchased to keep the leaders safe after death threats.
“Almost immediately upon closing, the attacks on me, and BLM, which also means Melina and others, escalated. So, we did use the campus as a haven, as a safe place. That derailed an announcement strategy. Conditions changed, and that’s it," Cullors said.
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