Well-funded orgs pushing ‘No Kings’ protests use multiple nonprofits to hide money sources 

The groups helping organize and promote Saturday’s “No Kings” events to protest the policies of the Trump administration receive funding from leftists such as George Soros and even the federal government.

An analysis by The Lion of the “No Kings” partner website shows the protest has around 175 partner organizations, including some well-known names, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

DataRepublican, which helped expose abuses in the USAID funding scheme, listed over $1 billion in federal grants that have gone to these organizations and their funding sources.

For example, the ACLU has received money from nonprofits such as the National Endowment for Democracy, the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc., the American Heart Association, and the Trustees of Columbia University, each of which also gets generous support from the federal government. 

Many individuals linked to these nonprofits have long relied on federal funding channeled through nonprofit organizations. 

For example, Latanya Mapp, who just two months ago stepped down from her role as president and CEO of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, was previously the director of USAID, the controversial State Department funding source for foreign aid, which has been largely discredited and discontinued. 

She also served as executive director at Planned Parenthood Global (a USAID funding recipient), on the board of the Council for Foreign Relations, and Oxfam, which in turn also received funding from USAID. 

Additionally, she’s listed as an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University, another ACLU donor helping to make “No Kings” day possible.  

But even some of the smaller, less well-known groups supporting “No Kings” day protests, such as Color of Change Education Fund, get a mix of taxpayer funds through many of the same nonprofits as the ACLU.  

Indivisible, the main organization organizing the protests, and other partners also get private donations from George Soros’ well-known Open Society Institute and the Tides Foundation, a pioneer in funding dark money Democrat protest groups such as Black Lives Matter. 

But beyond the IRS codes that prevent nonprofits from using tax-deductible charitable contributions on political protests, there’s the question of laundering federal money made by grants through nonprofits to help Democrats organize their left-wing base.  

It was an allegation that loomed large in the debate about ending USAID. 

“USAID’s spending aligns with the left’s dark money network, which has propped up leftwing activist groups that staffed and influenced the Biden administration,” Tyler O’Neil, investigative reporter for The Daily Signal told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. “USAID’s spending has long dovetailed that of Hungarian American billionaire George Soros and others in the left’s dark money network, and that is no accident.”  

Additionally, the large-scale participation of labor unions in the “No Kings” protests such as the American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Government Employees, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers and the Service Employees International Union, could prove problematic for progressives. 

While unions are protected under the Constitution in organizing protests, the protests generally are relegated under federal labor laws to those issues that have to do with workplace conditions, such as wages, hours and working conditions. (See Eastex, Inc. v. NLRB).  

Under the Constitution, unions have the right to organize protests, but federal labor laws, as established in cases such as Eastex, Inc. v. NLRB, generally limit protests to issues related to workplace conditions, such as wages, hours, and working environments. 

It might be a tough sell to the courts or to the National Labor Relations Board that the “No Kings” protest is related to union workplace interests. 

“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” complains the No Kings website, failing to mention workplace grievances. “The corruption has gone too far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.” 

Union participation in the protests, if they result in illegal activities, such as assaults, blocking traffic, vandalism or even failure to obtain the proper permits, could also leave the labor organizations with larger questions of civil and criminal liability. 

For example, in the wake of the Los Angeles riots last weekend, Alex Orellana, a teamster union member, was arrested on allegations of conspiracy to commit civil disorder, according to US Attorney Bill Essayli.  

Orellana was allegedly caught on video handing out face shields to help rioters in downtown LA, clearly not a protected activity for unions under labor laws.  

If convicted of conspiracy, he faces up to five years in a federal prison.  

Anyone with the unions or the nonprofits who may have facilitated the protests and knew about Orellana’s alleged conspiracy could face similar charges.

The “No Kings” organization publicly says its intent is peaceful.  

“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action,” the group said. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.” 

However, protests in LA, Chicago and Portland have seen arrests for blocking roadways, vandalism, setting fire to a federal building, assault and attempted murder.