Was Dallas Justice Now funded by Monty Bennett and created by Crowds on Demand
Executive summary
Reporting from the Texas Observer, D Magazine, Dallas Weekly and other local outlets concludes that Monty Bennett funded and directed a coordinated local network of advocacy groups and that a for‑hire publicity firm, Crowds on Demand, was contracted to build and operate some of those groups — reporting that specifically ties Dallas Justice Now into that network [1] [2] [3]. At the same time, key figures tied to the effort have pushed back or denied affiliations, and public financial records tying Bennett’s checks directly to Dallas Justice Now remain limited in the public record [4] [5].
1. The core claim: multiple investigations link Bennett to Dallas Justice Now and to Crowds on Demand
Investigative reporting by the Texas Observer and related local outlets documents a pattern in which Monty Bennett, a Dallas hotelier and political donor, financed a constellation of right‑leaning advocacy groups and used the Dallas Express (which he funds) to amplify them; those reports state that Crowds on Demand — a California firm that hires paid protesters and builds astroturf organizations — was hired to seed and operate groups, and that Dallas Justice Now emerged as part of that operation [1] [3] [5].
2. Evidence cited by reporters: emails, testimony and internal documents
The Observer and other reporters cite emails, internal documents, interviews and on‑the‑record testimony that tie Bennett, Crowds on Demand, and operatives who publicly fronted groups together; journalists describe messages and records showing Crowds on Demand personnel creating groups and organizing demonstrations that were then quoted by the Dallas Express [1] [2] [3]. Dallas Weekly summarized interviews where operatives said Bennett or his companies provided financial backing specifically for Dallas Justice Now [2].
3. Admissions and denials from principals: mixed public statements
Bennett has admitted to supporting related campaigns — acknowledging he contributed money, office space and other support to the Dallas HERO effort and that his companies hired Crowds on Demand — while otherwise disputing some reporting [4] [6]. Organizers and named leaders have at times denied formal ties: for example, an executive director associated with Dallas HERO told the Observer he was “not affiliated” with Keep Dallas Safe or Dallas Justice Now and said he had “never heard of Crowds on Demand” [4]. These conflicting statements create ambiguity about formal organizational charts versus operational control.
4. Corporate records and transparency gaps: what’s verified on paper
Public records reporting shows Dallas Justice Now was registered as a general corporation in Delaware and has claimed it was applying for 501(c) status; reporters note that several of the affiliated groups have opaque funding disclosures and shared addresses tied to Bennett projects, but clear, line‑item bank records that prove a direct donation from Bennett to Dallas Justice Now have not been published in these accounts [5] [7]. Journalists rely on emails, participant testimony and the pattern of amplification through Bennett‑funded media as the evidentiary basis.
5. How reporters tie Crowds on Demand to the groups: operational storytelling
Coverage by Monacelli and the Observer traces a recurring playbook: Crowds on Demand recruits actors and demonstrators, creates websites and social accounts for shell organizations, and stages events that are then amplified in the Dallas Express and allied outlets; that pattern is reported as extending to Dallas Justice Now and several sister entities [3] [1]. The articles cite specific instances, such as paid demonstrations and overlapping staff/coordinator ties, to support the contention that Crowds on Demand materially helped create and run those organizations [2] [8].
6. Assessment and limits of the record: a reasoned conclusion
Taken together, the weight of local investigative reporting supports the conclusion that Bennett funded and enabled a network including Dallas Justice Now and that Crowds on Demand was employed to create and operate groups in that network; reporters cite emails, testimony and repeated operational patterns to make that claim [1] [2] [3]. However, public-facing financial ledgers explicitly showing Bennett’s donation directly to an entity named “Dallas Justice Now” are not presented in the cited reporting, and principal denials (from a named director and partial denials from Bennett) mean some organizational details remain contested or opaque [4] [5]. The most accurate statement supported by the reporting is: multiple independent local investigations have found credible documentary and testimonial links tying Bennett and Crowds on Demand to the creation and operation of Dallas Justice Now, even as formal financial paperwork available to the public is incomplete and some participants deny formal affiliation [1] [2] [3] [5].