President Donald Trump's administration has launched a new legal campaign against the Open Society Foundations, funded by billionaire George Soros.
According to the New York Times, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has sent a directive to at least six federal prosecutors' offices, in California, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Detroit and Maryland, instructing them to review allegations against branches of the Open Society Foundation.
The foundation, founded and funded by Soros, is accused of supporting terrorism, financial fraud and other serious violations, including extortion.
A report by the conservative Capital Research Center is cited as the basis for the investigation, alleging that the foundation has poured over $80 million into organizations linked to violence or terrorism. One example cited is the Palestinian human rights group al-Haq, designated by Israel in 2022 as a front for terrorist activities.
The Open Society Foundation has rejected this accusation, calling the attack “politically motivated and dangerous to free speech.” “When power is abused to attack a few, the rights of all are put at risk,” it said in a statement.
Trump has long publicly attacked Soros and called for his imprisonment, accusing him of financing "political chaos" and opponents of his administration.