Is Black Lives Matter a ‘Shell Company’ for a Liberal Super PAC?

No.

By
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In viral tweets Wednesday, political provocateurs Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk suggested that donations to the Black Lives Matter Foundation are being sent instead to ActBlue, a Democratic political committee:

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  1. Joe1776


    "Candace Owens
    @RealCandaceO
    100 million dollar question that leftists are refusing to answer:

    To what organization do the funds raised on the Black Lives Matter website go?

    BLM raised 40 million dollars in 48 hours because of George Floyd’s death. But WHO did Act Blue direct that funding to?
    June 11th 2020"

    Ok so she misunderstood what ACT Blue does in the first tweet. But I think the substantive question is what is happening with that money? Does anyone know?

    Are the people in charge of the funds marxists? Could you fact check this?
    https://nypost.com/2020/06/25/blm-co-founder-describes-herself-as-trained-marxist/

    I think it may actually be better if the money just went to random democrats.

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  2. Jon Sindell

    Dear Editors,

    I contend that the article would have been just as solid without attaching the pejorative label "provacateurs" to Owens and Kirk.

    Clearly many Dispatch readers consider these two careless with facts, and they evidently leaned way out over their skis this time, but both seem motivated by a passionate desire to share their convictions, not to troll their adversaries (though their convictions incidentally annoy their adversaries).

    Wouldn't it have been more fair to refer to them as "commentators?"

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    Johntadian

    True enough, as long as it's realized that BLM as an idea is way removed from BLM, the organization.

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    Idontdocute

    I found ActBlue a very helpful site during the primaries, and would hope that Win Red will be the same, when candidates need to show local support or support in a number of states and I am not budgeting for their glory. I could toss a couple of dollars to a number of people at one time for a small fee and it only takes a couple of minutes. I have pointed out in the past that Mr Trump was selected by his party during the primary and there is a put up or shut up responsibility to that part of the process.

    I do believe the candidates get the money I sent them because one of the presidential candidates did not send me the expected thank you text and I pointed out that they were raised by wolves. I got my apology, my confirmation of receipt, and my thank you.

    The downside is they all still text me, even if they are no longer running, and it seems they all seem to still need money...constantly.

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    1. Mudskipper

      Not only do the ones I donate to keep sending me emails, but all their buddies get in the act. I get emails from someone running for a judgeship in a state I have never even visited, let alone live in. Won't stop me from donating, but it sure is annoying.

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        Idontdocute

        And the postal system. We must donate to keep the postal system alive. It's sad that I just can't google to many more stupid thing he may be trying to do.

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      2. rlritt

        Ha ha. Early every morning my phone dings and I tell my husband its Joe saying hi. If I don't get a text one morning, I worry.

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  5. Luke Thompson

    Fact-checking Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk is like fact-checking the Onion. Their entire careers are based on fraudulent claims. Neither of them is Conservative in any meaningful sense, they just say whatever they think people want to hear.

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    1. Kevin M. James

      Recently an old professor of mine shared a link to a discussion with Thomas Sowell.

      One of the replies enthused about what a great conservative thinker he is...and now we have Candace Owens too!

      I may now require surgery to bring my eyes back to the unrolled position.

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  6. Malka Davis

    "Political provocateurs"? Would this article have been less informative without such a negative characterization of Owens and Kirk?

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    1. Luke Thompson

      That's fairly mild. Neither of them are even on the American right. They don't believe in the founding principles, which is what Conservatives in America stand for. It's why they support Trump; he's not Conservative either.

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    2. Jake

      Would “charlatan” be more accurate? I used to follow Owens. She’s lost all my respect and trust over the years. After her video demonizing George Floyd, I have decided to just completely ignore her.

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  7. Victor Clairmont

    So this is one of those nuance things that on the surface seems bad when phrased a certain way. But is perfectly legal and fine. Wish Kirk and Candace would say they mad a mistake if all this information is correct. Sometimes lay people just don’t process information well and think something is sinister when it’s not. It’s ok to be wrong, if you admit it and say sorry. Hurray for fact checks!

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  8. Colin L.

    Seems a bit like a distinction without a difference, no? It sounds like we're arguing about whether this is actually an S Corp, when it was incorrectly called an LLC. If you give your money to BLM, and BLM tells ActBlue to give it to “Democratic candidates and committees, progressive organizations, and nonprofits that share our values." That sounds more like the point Owens and Kirk are making. BLM isn't necessarily giving it to people or orgs that help save black lives, they give it to Democrats and Progressives.

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    1. J.R.

      No, I believe they are entirely different things. The point the fact check makes is that BLM isn't giving it to anyone just because it's processing through ActBlue's fundraising site - it is in fact going to BLM. Other than the processing fee, money donated to BLM through ActBlue goes to BLM unless they refuse the funds, which there is no indication they're doing, in which case the money goes to other organizations with similar missions (in the case of BLM, likely some other social welfare NPO) - it does not go to a political party or candidate.

      So their posts are factually wrong in some cases and the insinuation is misleading in others: the money doesn't "go directly to ActBlue", ActBlue does not funnel BLM donations to politicians like a superPAC, and "To what organization do the funds donated to Black Lives Matter go?" is readily apparent (they go to BLM).

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      1. Colin L.

        I see. I misunderstood the logistics. I thought they were saying that BLM took donations and put them through ActBlue to then distribute to people and organizations to whom BLM directed them to give the money. Instead the money is going to ActBlue to be forwarded to BLM. I have to admit, I can't stand either of them and I didn't look at their tweets first.

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        1. J.R.

          I hadn't considered that interpretation, but I can see how you might have gotten there.

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  9. Tammy Herbert

    Fact checks from a source I can trust matter. Keep em coming.

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  10. Ray Salemi

    A shell company?

    Seriously?

    Jonah recently interviewed a professor who studies conspiracy theories. That guy found no evidence that the Right believed more conspiracy theories than the Left. But I'm having trouble believing it.

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    1. Jesse Blankenship

      I think they sell gasoline.

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    2. Jake

      I too find it hard to believe that BLM would be involved with big oil like Shell Co.

      Sorry.

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    3. Victor Clairmont

      It’s tough because conspiracy theories are just so ingrained in humans sometimes. To the Protestant Christian, the Catholics have a Jesuit in every church destroying them still today. To the Palestinian, the Jews control the world (and the weather). To the Turks, the Armenians were evil and undermining society. To many well meaning people in progressivism, vaccines are an attempt of Big Pharma to collect money and kill us all. On the right uh, Pizza Gate. To all Americans, the French are terrible. Ok that may not be true (My last name is french people!). Not saying everyone in these groups believe this stuff, but certain theories run more in certain circles than others.

      But yeah, conspiracies, conspiracies everywhere!

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      1. Kevin M. James

        "...the Catholics have a Jesuit in every church destroying them..."

        Which would be a conspiracy theory that hardline Protestants and traddie Catholics have in common these days! Ain't Christian unity grand?

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      2. rlritt

        Ha ha. Everyone believes that Norwegians are fine, hard working people. My mother's ex-husband and his family were Norwegian. I, therefore, was raised to believe they are all Satan's spawn. (I don't believe it anymore)

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About Alec Dent

Alec Dent is the fact check editor and culture editor for The Dispatch. He is a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC Chapel Hill.
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