Amazon removes Black Lives Matter from charity program
Black Lives Matter was suspended from Amazon’s charity program this week over its failure to disclose what happened to the tens of millions of dollars in donations it received following racial justice protests in 2020.
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation fell afoul of several US states after it refused to reveal who was in control of the organization’s estimated $60 million in assets. The organization generated further controversy last year after it was reported that co-founder Patrisse Cullors had purchased four luxury properties while working as its executive director.
Cullors has claimed that the enormous amounts of money raised by the organization was not solicited and instead came automatically from “white guilt” over racial inequity. “This is money that came from white guilt, white corporation guilt, and they just poured money in,” she said. Investigators, however, are currently trying to find out what happened to the money.
An Amazon spokesperson told the New York Post on Thursday that the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation had been taken off its AmazonSmile program, which allows users to donate a portion of their purchases to various charities.
“States have rules for nonprofits, and organizations participating in AmazonSmile need to meet those rules,” said the spokesperson. “Unfortunately this organization fell out of compliance with the rules in several states.”
We’ve had to temporarily suspend them from the program until they come into compliance
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a delinquency notice to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation this month, warning that the organization had fallen afoul of the Registry of Charitable Trusts “for failing to submit required annual report(s).”
“An organization that is delinquent, suspended or revoked is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds,” the notice declared.
