Amazon suspends Black Lives Matter from charity program as controversy swirls around group's finances
Embattled Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation faces questions about financial transparency
Amazon’s charity website has suspended the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) amid questions about the group’s financial transparency.
AmazonSmile, which donates 0.5% from purchases to designated nonprofits, still lists dozens of local Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapters among its thousands of approved charities, but noticeably absent is the BLMGNF, the national arm of the BLM movement.
BLACK LIVES MATTER HALTS ONLINE FUNDRAISING AFTER CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON THREATEN LEGAL ACTION
"We offer the AmazonSmile program to make it easy for our customers to support their favorite charitable organizations, and we work to offer a broad spectrum of organizations, including those working to end racial injustice," an Amazon spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "States have rules for nonprofits, and organizations participating in AmazonSmile need to meet those rules. Unfortunately this organization fell out of compliance with the rules in several states, so we’ve had to temporarily suspend them from the program until they come into compliance.
"We hope that happens soon, and in the meantime, customers who have already selected them in AmazonSmile are able to continue supporting them, and we’ll hold any funds accrued until they’re back in compliance."
An Amazon employee passes by its logo on the opening day of the new distribution center in Augny, eastern France, on Sept. 23, 2021. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The suspension was first reported by the Washington Examiner.
The news comes after BLMGNF shut down all of its online fundraising earlier this month following demands by attorneys general in California and Washington state that it submit delinquent financial disclosures for 2020, the Examiner reported.
"We take these matters seriously and have taken immediate action," a BLMGNF spokesperson told FOX Business on Feb. 3. "We have immediately engaged compliance counsel to address any issues related to state fundraising compliance. In the interim, we have shut down online fundraising as we work quickly to ensure we are meeting all compliance requirements."
A new Black Lives Matter sign was placed by The Red Sox Foundation behind the Fenway Park Green Monster and the Landsdowne Garage in Boston on July 22, 2020. (Photo by Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)
However, BLMGNF remained out of compliance in California, Washington, New Jersey, North Carolina, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Maine and Virginia as of Wednesday, the Examiner reported.
At the end of 2020, Black Lives Matter said in an impact report that it raised $90 million, spent $8.4 million in operating expenses, distributed $21.7 million in grants to 33 other organizations, and closed the year with a $60 million balance. An investigation conducted by the Examiner found that BLM has not publicly named anyone in charge of the roughly $60 million bankroll since its co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, resigned in May 2021.
Patrisse Cullors is one of the three co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement. (Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
According to the right-leaning charity watchdog Influence Watch, it is not clear who leads BLMGNF.
Multiple local BLM chapters and families of Black people killed by police have spoken out against the BLMGNF and demanded it disburse its millions to Black communities.
Fox News’ Tyler Olson and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
