Millions Given to Obama’s Foundation Sent to Group Linked to George Soros
Public records show that millions of dollars given to former President Barack Obama’s foundation were later redirected to a progressive fund that has supported anti-Israel groups, including those accused of organizing encampments at Ivy League universities.
According to federal tax filings, the Obama Foundation — established to construct a 19-acre campus in Chicago featuring a museum, athletic facility, and gardens — transferred $2 million to the Tides Foundation in 2022 and 2023, the New York Post reported.
The cash was earmarked to “support local organizations that are working to reduce violence in communities,” according to filings by the foundation.
The Tides Foundation — which also receives funding from Democratic donor George Soros — serves as a fiscal sponsor for organizations that have not registered with the IRS as charities. The group is currently under review by the House Ways and Means Committee for its role in directing donations to groups including the Adalah Justice Project, Samidoun, and the People’s Forum.
These organizations have been linked to pro-Palestinian demonstrations and student encampments that followed the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, which killed 1,200 people, The Post reported.
Following publication of the story on Friday, a spokeswoman for the Obama Foundation said the $2 million in question was distributed to more than 50 organizations nationwide to reduce “surging summer violence” and to create “safe spaces” for young people.
“The Tides Center played an administrative role in the program by processing grants while Cities United [a nonprofit] managed the application process,” the spokeswoman told The Post in an email.
Tides has also overseen donations for the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, which filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court last year accusing the fund of “egregious mismanagement” of more than $33 million, according to court records. That case remains ongoing.
In addition to its donations to Tides, filings show the Obama Foundation directed more than $3 million in grants to Gofundme.org in 2022 and 2023 for unspecified programs described as supporting “grassroots leaders to empower girls through education.”
The Obama Foundation revelations and connection to an organization funded in part by left-wing billionaire Soros come as a senior Justice Department official has ordered more than half a dozen U.S. attorneys’ offices to draft plans for criminal investigations into Soros’ Open Society Foundation.
The directive, obtained by The New York Times, outlines potential charges including racketeering, arson, wire fraud, and material support of terrorism, The New York Times reported.
It is the latest sign that federal prosecutors are moving aggressively at the urging of President Donald Trump, who has publicly demanded that Soros face criminal charges.
The president sharpened his criticism of Soros after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah this month.
At a rally, Trump threatened to use government levers to “go after” donors to progressive groups, specifically mentioning Soros by name.
Conservatives argue that the foundation supports unrest, violent protests, and property destruction.
On Monday, Todd Blanche’s office sent a memo to federal prosecutors in New York, California, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit, and Maryland, instructing them to prepare investigative strategies.
The order was signed by Aakash Singh, a Justice Department lawyer tasked with coordinating between the deputy attorney general’s office and U.S. attorneys’ offices nationwide.
Singh cited a report by the conservative Capital Research Center, which tracks liberal spending in politics.
That report accused Soros-backed groups of funneling more than $80 million into organizations connected to terrorism or extremist violence.
“This D.O.J., along with our hard-working and dedicated U.S. attorneys, will always prioritize public safety and investigate organizations that conspire to commit acts of violence or other federal violations of law,” Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin said.
BREAKING NOW: 'National Emergency' Declared, Trump Called In
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the United States has imposed a blockade preventing Iranian ships from transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to restrict passage for other vessels.
Rubio stated that the measure has already cost Iran hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. He said the decision followed Iran’s failure to reach an agreement on reopening the waterway to all shipping.
Rubio described the current talks with Iran as distinct from negotiations with other countries, noting that the Iranian decision-making process is slow and fragmented.
He said the regime has recently agreed to discuss aspects of its nuclear program that it had previously refused to address. At the same time, he indicated that U.S. patience is limited and that further progress is required on nuclear issues and the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported that Tehran had suspended talks with the United States, citing Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Trump stated on social media that negotiations between the two countries remain ongoing.
Rubio’s testimony did not directly address the Iranian media reports but emphasized that any agreement would need to include verifiable steps on Iran’s nuclear activities and the restoration of open passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The blockade and the status of talks come as the United States continues to enforce export controls and sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities.
Administration officials have described the current approach as combining diplomatic engagement with measures to increase pressure on Tehran. Rubio’s remarks before the committee provided the most detailed public update on the status of the discussions in recent days.
The situation remains fluid, with both sides continuing to exchange messages through diplomatic channels. No timeline for further rounds of talks or specific next steps was announced during the hearing. Congressional committees are expected to continue monitoring developments related to Iran policy in the coming weeks.
Vote To Remove Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar From Congress Being Considered By Republican Congressman
In a closely divided 5-3 vote that fell one short of the required threshold, Minnesota House Republicans failed to secure a subpoena compelling U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar to testify and produce documents tied to the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.
The outcome on May 5 marked the dramatic conclusion of months of mounting scrutiny over the congresswoman’s legislative actions and community outreach during the pandemic-era program at the center of one of the largest federal fraud investigations in recent Minnesota history. The House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, operating under a bipartisan agreement that demands six votes to authorize a subpoena, saw every Republican member support the measure while all three Democrats opposed it.
Committee Chair Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove) argued that the subpoena had become the only remaining tool after Omar repeatedly declined invitations to appear and failed to respond to formal document requests.
“We have reached out to Representative Ilhan Omar on multiple occasions, inviting her to testify and inviting and requesting documents,” Robbins said ahead of the vote. “The only tool left for us as a committee if we want to get these documents is to issue a subpoena.”
Republicans on the panel have focused on Omar’s sponsorship of the federal MEALS Act, enacted in March 2020. They contend the legislation loosened critical oversight requirements in federal child nutrition programs and helped create the conditions that enabled large-scale fraud.
“Representative Omar had some role, whether inadvertent or not,” Robbins said. “She passed the MEALS Act in March of 2020, and that took the guardrails off the federal school nutrition program which created the conditions for Feeding Our Future.”
The Feeding Our Future scandal stands as one of Minnesota’s most significant public corruption cases in recent decades. Federal prosecutors allege that organizers and associates diverted hundreds of millions of dollars intended to feed low-income children through fabricated meal claims, shell nonprofit organizations, and fraudulent reimbursement requests. Dozens of individuals have been charged, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and multiple business operators connected to Minnesota’s Somali community.
Committee Republicans specifically sought communications between Omar’s office and several individuals named in the federal investigation, along with records related to her public promotion of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, a business later linked to the scandal. Robbins also referenced a Somali-language television appearance in which Omar highlighted the restaurant as a meal distribution site during the pandemic.
“We thought it’d be very helpful to understand from Rep. Omar’s perspective how she thought the MEALS Act impacted the community, why she brought it, what communication she had with the fraudsters,” Robbins said during the hearing.
Democrats on the committee strongly opposed the effort, accusing Republicans of politicizing the investigation and targeting Omar for partisan advantage. Dave Pinto, the committee’s lead Democrat, questioned both the timing and practical purpose of pursuing a subpoena with only days remaining in the legislative session.
“Even if Omar were to testify or information is received, I do not see the committee doing anything with that information,” Pinto argued.
Pinto further referenced broader concerns about investigations involving political opponents under the current federal administration.
“We know the president and federal administration have got no hesitation going after political enemies and investigating them in all sorts of ways,” he said during the hearing.
The failed vote effectively prevents the Minnesota House committee from compelling Omar’s testimony or documents before the legislative session ends later this month. Nevertheless, Robbins signaled that Republicans are exploring alternative avenues to continue the pursuit.
“They’re fading,” Robbins said. “But I’ll certainly talk to our friends in Congress to see if they would be willing to issue a subpoena.”
Robbins noted that federal authorities retain “a whole menu of legal options” because Omar is a sitting member of Congress. The controversy unfolds amid broader Republican efforts at both state and national levels to highlight waste, fraud, and inadequate oversight in federal spending programs enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
