Black Lives Matter (BLM) has been removed from Amazon’s charity platform AmazonSmile.
Background: Last year, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors announced her departure from the organization and since then it’s been unclear who is in charge of the organization and its millions.
Recently, BLM’s finances have been called into question after failing to report what it did with millions of dollars raised during the second half of 2020.
In early February, BLM shut down its online fundraising after two states issued legal threats to the group for its failure to report its finances.
BLM remains out of compliance in California and Washington, as well as in New Jersey, North Carolina, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Maine, and Virginia.
BLM recently retained the services of the law firm owned by prominent Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, who is best known for his funding of the discredited anti-Trump Steele dossier while he served as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign general counsel. BLM also elevated longtime Clinton family confidant Minyon Moore to its board of directors, according to the filings. (per The Washington Examiner)
What Happened: AmazonSmile removed BLM from its platform on Tuesday.
Why It Matters: In the past, Amazon donated $10 million to BLM and 11 other social justice groups amid the nationwide unrest spurred by George Floyd’s killing.
Amazon has been a major revenue source for BLM and now marks one of the most prominent corporations to break with the social justice organization.
What Amazon Says: “Charitable organizations must meet the requirements outlined in our participation agreement to be eligible for AmazonSmile,” an Amazon representative told the Washington Examiner. “Among other eligibility requirements, organizations are required to be in good standing in their state of incorporation and in the states and territories where they are authorized to do business. Organizations that don’t meet the requirements listed in the agreement may have its eligibility suspended or revoked. Charities can request to be reinstated once they are back in good standing.”
Clintons rush into power vacuum
In other news, Black Lives Matter filings reveal prominent Democratic lawyer Marc Elias and another longtime ally of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have taken on key roles in the charity amid scrutiny over its leadership and finances.
Elias, best known for his funding of British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s discredited anti-Trump dossier while he served as Clinton’s 2016 campaign general counsel, appears to be representing the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation through his recently formed Elias Law Group. BLM’s national organization repeatedly lists the Elias firm as one of its addresses and states in its short-year 2020 Form 990 that its books were now in the care of the Elias Law Group. Additionally, Minyon Moore, a longtime top ally of both Bill and Hillary Clinton, is now listed as part of BLM’s board of directors in the charity’s filings. (Washington Examiner)