NLPC Chairman Peter Flaherty today sent the following letter to Alex Soros, Chair of the Open Society Foundations:
The National Legal and Policy Center promotes ethics in public life. In this context, we research and monitor extremist groups and movements.
With the murder of Charlie Kirk, we ask the Open Society Foundations (OSF) to cease and desist from further financial support of the activist organizations that have conducted the ugly and divisive protests, demonstrations and marches against President Trump and others with whom the activists disagree.
These groups have a First Amendment right to conduct these activities, no matter how inflammatory and vulgar they may be, but they do not have a Constitutional right to OSF financial support. That is up to you.
While OSF funding seems ubiquitous among groups critical of President Trump and his policies, it is not hard to identify the primary organizers of the regular, nationwide protests that have occurred under the banners of “Tesla Takedown” and “No Kings.” Yet another “No Kings Day” is planned for October 18, which appears to be no less than the eleventh national day of protest since President Trump began his second term.
These events have been marked by persistent and dominant messaging, both from participants and organizers, that President Trump and his supporters are Nazis, fascists, authoritarians, white supremacists and worse. The protests have coincided with hundreds of incidents of violence directed against persons and property, including Tesla dealers, chargers and automobiles. These groups cannot disown the violence, vandalism and arson when their rhetoric is so extreme, no matter how many times they claim they are “peaceful.”
Specifically, we ask you to withdraw support from:
Indivisible– According to the OSF Awards database, Indivisible and related groups have been the recipients of $7.6 million, including what appears to be the founding grant, routed through a fiscal sponsor, Tides Advocacy, in 2017.
MoveOn- According to the OSF Awards database, MoveOn and related groups have received $2.4 million since 2016. Since MoveOn was founded in 1998, it is possible that it and related groups have received much more.
As Chair, you have a fiduciary responsibility to the OSF to ensure that the funds you distribute are used for a tax-exempt purpose. A September 26 statement on the OSF website claims that “All Open Society grantees are required to comply with the law…” Previous OSF statements asserted that you do not tell grantees what to do.
Unless you act against Indivisible, MoveOn and other merchants of hate, the American people will demand restrictions on tax-exempt mega-funds like OSF. President Trump stated on September 10 in his Oval Office address:
My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.
Your own perfunctory and emotionless condemnation on X of Kirk’s assassination only feeds the impression that you and OSF are indifferent to violence.
The American public is able to recognize evil. Your unearned wealth will not insulate you. You bear a clear obligation to uphold the mission that grants your organization tax-exempt status. If that duty fails to motivate you, then I hope that an appeal to basic human decency will.
I look forward to your reply.
