As we’ve reported here at RedState, Black Lives Matter used $6 million in donations to secretly purchase a mansion in Southern California, according to a recent New York Magazine expose. According to New York Magazine, the property boasts over 6,500 square feet with at least half-a dozen bedrooms and baths. There are also soundstages and a swimming pool. Plus, there is parking for 20 more cars. Nice!
After former leader of the BLM, Patrisse Khan–Cullors was heavily criticised in 2021 over the purchase of four houses worth $3.4 million. This includes a $1.4million house located in Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles.
I think it’s fair to guess that most people donating to Black Lives Matter would not have imagined their money would end up in pricey California real estate.
Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 as a Facebook movement, but became well-known after George Floyd’s passing. According to filings, they raised an astonishing $90 million for 2020.
Cullors, co-founder of BLM and a self-professed “trained Marxist,” stepped down from her leadership role not long after the first real estate purchases were reported. Cullors denied the controversy caused her departure. “Those were right-wing attacks that tried to discredit my character, and I don’t operate off of what the right thinks about me.”
Although the topic was not as prominent after she resigned, this $6 million disclosure has put it back in the spotlight. Daily Mail reports interesting financial decisions regarding the purchase.
Dyane Pascall, president of the Councious Captial Investment Enterprise real estate company and a former employ of Cullors, bought the LA property from televangelists Shawn and Cherie Bolz, according to property records, and Shawn Bolz told The New York Post the sale was for $3.1 million.
Yet six days after it was purchased, on October 27, 2020, Pascall transferred the property to Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundations (BLMGNF) for $5.8 million – with BLMGNF paying Pascall in cash, and the purchase registered to a shell company registered several days before.
You won’t find anything here.
The criticism has come quickly. Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California says it’s time for the Department of Justice to open an investigation:
Many red flags were raised after the purchase for $6million of an L.A. house by Black Lives Matter.
BLM hasn’t come close to explaining this. And the Biden DOJ can’t ignore it any longer.
— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) April 9, 2022
The criticism hasn’t all come from the right, either. Last year after news broke about Cullors’ purchase of the original four properties, Hawk Newsome, co-founder of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, wasn’t happy. (Black Lives Matter of Greater New York has no affiliation with national Black Lives Matter. Yahoo! News:
“If you go around calling yourself a socialist, you have to ask how much of her own personal money is going to charitable causes,” he told The Post. “It’s really sad because it makes people doubt the validity of the movement and overlook the fact that it’s the people that carry this movement,” he continued.
Black Lives Matter addressed the critics via a series tweets. Here’s one explaining that it’s the “narrative” that’s the problem, not the lavish purchases.
As organizers do amazing work all across the nation, narratives like these can be harmful. We also know that the reports are not representative of the whole movement. We are sorry for any distress caused by this to our supporters, and all who serve Black liberation every day.
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) April 11, 2022
They also disabled all comments from the thread. Although the words “we apologize” appear in the above tweet, this and the accompanying tweets in the thread certainly don’t read like apologies. They read like the all-too-common, “I blame the media!” for my issues. It almost never ends well. BLM can’t wish this away, with reports that $60 million worth of donations might not be accounted for.
This story isn’t going anywhere.
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