Patrice Cullors, a co-founder of BLM, has been under intense scrutiny lately. She lied about the use of a newly purchased $6 million mansion not being used for personal reasons and has now been caught paying her family and friends millions of dollars from charity funds.
The mansion that was purchased in cash with BLM funds was supposed to be used as a ‘safe space’ for black creatives, activists, and thought leaders. After intense backlash for not disclosing yet another luxury property purchase with supposed “charity” funds the comment sent out to the media was that its purchase was never disclosed because it needed renovating. Cullors angrily hit back at her detractors, describing criticism she was facing since the purchase was made public as ‘racist and sexist.’
She admitted to lying about using the property for personal reasons. She told the Associated Press that she used the opulent compound for her own personal parties twice.
The first was to hold a party to toast Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s inauguration as president and vice president in January 2021.
The second, where she was supposed to pay a fee to rent the property but never been confirmed if the fee was paid or if she was charged the same rate as anyone else, was to host her son’s birthday party.
She said of her earlier decision to lie: ‘I look back at that and think, that probably wasn’t the best idea.’
You think? This is one of just many reasons that people do not trust the BLM fraud.
BLM wrapped up its fiscal year — which runs from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021 — with a stunning $42 million in net assets. More than $37 million was spent by the foundation on grants, real estate, and charter on private flights, according to the tax filings.
She resigned as executive director of BLM amid criticism of her over-the-top lavish lifestyle paid for by donations to the supposed “charity”.
The 63-page Form 990 document shows just how much she paid herself and how much she paid her family and friends.
Her child’s father, Damon Turner, started his Los Angeles-based clothing company, Trap Heals, just days before partnering with the BLM foundation.
The company received a staggering $969,459.
An LLC run by her brother, Paul Cullors, received $840,993 for “professional security services.”
A close associate of hers and a member of the BLM board of directors, Shalomyah Bowers was paid $2,167,894.00 for consulting and management services.
Cullors said she had been paid $120,000 in consulting fees by BLM.
‘It’s impacted me personally and professionally, that people would accuse me of stealing from black people.’Questioned by AP about what BLM’s donations have been spent on, she continued: ‘No I have never used BLM donations to pay for any of the properties that I’ve owned in the past or owned right now.’
Oh no? Not even a few houses?
In April 2021 we reported on a property in a mostly white area of Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles County she purchased for $1.4 million. They were spotted in the Bahamas searching for property in a wealthy neighborhood where Justin Timberlake and Tiger Woods, among other celebrities, own property. Properties in the area are priced between $5 million and $20 million.
She admitted hiring both her mom and brother to work at the mansion, but denied doing so was corrupt, and said BLM had just been looking for ‘folks’ with ‘skillsets’ to work at the lavish compound.
She ultimately had exclusive control over how BLM spent its funds, as she was the only member of the charity’s board of directors from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, the time frame covered by the Form 990 disclosure.
“This 990 shows why Cullors could no longer lead Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation,” Tom Anderson, the director of the Government Integrity Project at the National Legal and Policy Center watchdog group, told the Washington Examiner. “I’m sure people who donated, in some cases their rent money, to BLM didn’t expect millions of dollars going to family members and close associates of Patrisse Cullors while thousands of protests were taking place.”
BLM even paid out $139,625 to its former executive director, Kailee Scales, despite the fact that she didn’t work for the charity during the time frame.
“Kailee Scales did not serve during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021,” BLM reported in its Form 990. “However, she did receive a severance payment for calendar year 2020 in the amount of $139,625. The terms and conditions of the arrangement are confidential.”
Cashing in on the latest thing seems to be paying off for some.
