President Donald Trump’s allies are leading investigations into the potential funding of the violent riots in Los Angeles, California. The probes follow suspicion that the destructive protests were not organic reactions from locals enraged about the administration’s illegal immigration enforcement, but instead a coordinated and financed destabilization effort by nongovernmental organizations or other entities.
FBI Director Kash Patel told Just the News this week that the agency is following the money to determine which groups are behind the protests spreading across the nation over the past week.
‘It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct.’
“The FBI is investigating any and all monetary connections responsible for these riots,” Patel told the news outlet.
Separately, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced on Wednesday that he is also launching an investigation into those allegedly funding the riots.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
He wrote in a post on social media, “Who is funding the LA riots? This violence isn’t spontaneous. As chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, I’m launching an investigation to find out.”
Hawley shared a letter he sent to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, one of the groups he believes is financing the “lawless mob actions.”
“Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions,” Hawley wrote. “Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct.”
Hawley requested that the organization provide the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism with a list of records, including internal communications, financial documents related to protests, third-party contracts, grant applications, travel and lodging records, media and public relations strategies, and donor lists.
Hawley’s accusations against CHIRLA were supported by DataRepublican, who noted that $34 million of the NGO’s reported $45 million revenue in the fiscal year ending June 2023 was from government grants, primarily from California.
“In their most recent year, CHIRLA jumped from [$]12 million to [$]34 million in government grants,” DataRepublican stated.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights told the New York Post that it did not have anything to do with the violence.
“We have not participated, coordinated, or been part of the protests being registered in Los Angeles other than the press conference and rally cited above,” a representative told the Post, referring to an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement rally and a press event held last week.
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News, Los angeles, La, La riots, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Anti-ice protests, Anti-ice riots, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Fbi, Kash patel, Josh hawley, Coalition for humane immigrant rights, Chirla, Immigration crisis, Immigration, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Politics