Chair of House Ways and Means investigates claims of tax-exempt group’s connections to CCP

Request for Records from People’s Forum

Jason Smith, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is asking for documentation from People’s Forum, an entity he claims acts as an unofficial foreign agent for the US Communist Party (CCP). He alleges that they are using taxpayer benefits to promote protests and spread propaganda.

In a letter sent on September 4 to Director Manolo de los Santos, Smith criticized the forum for inciting violence and unrest across the United States. “It’s unacceptable—and could potentially violate US law—to exploit tax-exempt status granted by American taxpayers to promote foreign propaganda for nations opposed to US interests, while also justifying acts of terrorism,” Smith stated. He believes the American public deserves transparency regarding People’s Forum and its connections to the CCP, particularly concerning its role in fostering violence and confusion within communities.

Following Hamas’ deadly attack in Israel on October 7, Smith noted that the group had openly supported the violence and claimed that those behind the attacks “have the right to resist.”

House Committees’ Allegations Against Biden Administration

Smith is urging for a wide range of records, like donor lists, contracts, and communications with foreign principals, to be submitted by September 18. If the organization declines, they might be subject to a subpoena, IRS scrutiny over their tax-exempt status, or even criminal charges from the Department of Justice.

The group also organized a rally in Times Square shortly after, which drew national criticism. Aside from his firm stance on Israel, Smith highlighted that this nonprofit has sparked riots and violent protests on college campuses, notably in Los Angeles, where confrontations with law enforcement led to numerous arrests.

Smith has linked the Forum of People to pro-CCP discussions and events that commend the Chinese revolution. The group has reportedly partnered with organizations like the Qiao Collective and has maintained connections with media within a Pro-China network tied to former tech mogul Neville Roy Singham.

According to a public report referenced in Smith’s letter, Singham and his wife Jodi Evans allegedly received $20 million between 2017 and 2022 from various sources.

Concerns Over Chinese Scholarship Relationships

Smith expressed that the People’s Forum has allowed funds from Singham, who now resides in Shanghai. He contended that the financial arrangements, along with the nonprofit’s activities, resemble the operations of foreign powers behaving like unregistered agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

He emphasized that exploiting tax-exempt status to disseminate foreign propaganda while acting as a foreign agent is both “unacceptable and illegal.” Smith cited previous cases in which the Department of Justice has taken action against nonprofits used as a front for foreign influence efforts.

Records indicate that Singham was investigated in the 1970s for links to entities deemed detrimental to US interests, but he later worked with Huawei, a Chinese telecom company known for its ties to the CCP.