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Is it true the BLM money made went to other causes like the makers buying houses or anything other than to help black people
Executive summary
Reporting shows federal and state probes into how tens of millions raised for Black Lives Matter were handled, and some local BLM-affiliated actors have been convicted of diverting donations for personal use (the national group says it raised over $90 million in 2020) [1] [2]. Available sources document lawsuits, missing transfers, and disputes between BLM entities and fiscal sponsors — they do not present a single, settled accounting showing all funds spent or prove that all leaders personally enriched themselves [3] [4] [5].
1. What investigators are examining: alleged donor fraud and misuse
Federal prosecutors and the Justice Department have opened investigations into whether leaders or related organizations in the Black Lives Matter movement misused donations collected after George Floyd’s murder in 2020; reporting says subpoenas and search warrants have been issued as part of those inquiries [6] [7] [8]. The probe focuses on whether donor dollars — estimated in reporting at over $90 million raised in 2020 — were diverted or improperly managed rather than on an ideological question of the movement itself [1] [5].
2. Confirmed instances of wrongdoing are localized, not necessarily systemic
There are documented criminal cases involving local actors: for example, Sir Maejor Page (associated with “Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta” in reporting) was convicted and sentenced for wire fraud and money laundering after diverting more than $450,000 in donor money [2]. These cases show that at least some donations intended for BLM-related causes were used for personal enrichment by individual operators, but they concern specific local organizations and people, not the entirety of all funds raised in 2020 [2].
3. Disputes over where large sums went: lawsuits and missing transfers
The national Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLM GNF) has sued its former fiscal sponsor, the Tides Foundation, alleging more than $33 million was withheld or mismanaged and seeking the return of those funds [3] [4]. Other reporting documents transfers of large sums (roughly $8–9 million) to an affiliated entity, Black Lives Matter Grassroots, with questions about whether those transfers were received or properly documented — language in reporting describes funds as “seemingly disappeared” in some accounts [9] [3].
4. Allegations of personal purchases (houses, mansions) — what sources actually say
Media and commentary have reported controversies over high-profile purchases linked to people associated with the movement; some outlets have reported that a mansion purchase and other expenditures drew scrutiny, and critics have alleged leaders benefited personally [5] [10]. At the same time, coverage shows disagreement about legality and intent: some reports say BLMGNF and others deny wrongdoing, and the organization has pursued litigation to recover funds from fiscal sponsors [4] [11]. Available sources do not present a universally accepted, audited finding that national leaders used donor funds to buy personal homes on a wholesale basis — instead they show contested accounts and active investigations [3] [5].
5. Transparency, governance, and the decentralized movement dynamic
Reporting stresses that “Black Lives Matter” encompasses multiple entities: a national foundation, local chapters, and loosely affiliated grassroots groups, which fundraised independently; that decentralization complicated tracking of donations and led local chapters to complain about transparency and distributions [12] [11] [1]. Some state authorities had already pursued record requests or enforcement actions before the federal inquiry, reflecting persistent governance concerns [5] [13].
6. Competing narratives and political context
Conservative outlets and some commentators frame the developments as evidence of a broad “grift,” while civil‑rights groups and some reporters warn that federal scrutiny could reflect political targeting of progressive organizations [6] [7] [14]. The Associated Press and other mainstream outlets have emphasized sourcing and the preliminary nature of the DOJ probe; the national foundation has both denied wrongdoing and pursued litigation to recover funds it says were mishandled by fiscal intermediaries [8] [4] [11].
7. What is and isn’t proven yet — and what to watch next
What’s established: large sums were raised in 2020; some local actors were convicted for diverting donations; there are lawsuits alleging mismanagement and missing transfers; and federal investigators have opened inquiries [1] [2] [3] [6]. What’s not established in current reporting: a definitive, court‑proven, comprehensive audit showing all pandemic‑era BLM‑designated donations were used for personal purchases such as houses by national leaders — available sources do not present that conclusive finding [3] [5]. Watch for DOJ filings, court outcomes in the Tides suit, and audited disclosures from BLM entities for clearer accounting [4] [3].
Bottom line: reporting shows real instances of misuse and real financial disputes, but the picture is fragmented — specific criminal convictions and lawsuits exist, while broader allegations about national leaders and wholesale diversion of funds remain contested and under investigation [2] [3] [6].