The Black Lives Matter Foundation has received an order from New York Attorney General Letitia James to stop collecting donations in New York. The state attorney general said the foundation is not registered as a charitable organization in New York, making it illegal for it to solicit contributions in the state.
On July 7, James took to her Twitter handle to announce that she ordered the Black Lives Matter Foundation to stop collecting donations in the name of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, deeming its activity as illegal. She went on to explain that the foundation is not affiliated with the aforesaid movement but has accepted several donations and deceived goodwill.
The Black Lives Matter Foundation is based in California, and a 2017 tax filing states it is intended to help bring the police and the community closer together. The organization came under fire recently after news reports indicating that it collected donations from people who were under the impression that their money would go to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The president and CEO of the Black Lives Matter Foundation Ray Barnes told CNN that he has never collected donations in New York, adding that he has never even visited the state. Noting that the foundation has never collected donations from New York, Barnes said donations have come through charitable organizations.
Barnes suggests the foundation could have received funds from a New York-based donors but denied it tried soliciting from the state. James' order cites the organization's failure to register and file the required financial documents as the reason for her ruling.
The, recently, passed order states that Black Lives Matter Foundation must stop solicitation of contributions and any other sort of fundraising activities in New York, which is led by the foundation. Following George Floyd's death, several Americans came forward to donate to racial justice causes.
The Black Lives Matter Foundation was slated to receive about $4.35 million from big donors including Google, Microsoft, and Apple, according to BuzzFeed News. Barnes told CNN these reports weren't true. In a news release, she emphasized that it is imperative for organizations seeking to solicit donations from New Yorkers to follow state laws.
She said they will push for transparency to ensure that donors' goodwill is not taken advantage of by opportunists. The Black Lives Matter Foundation has failed to show New Yorkers how it plans to use their donations by not registering or filing any financial documents with the state.