Soros Foundation Slams Trump for Persecution, Attack on Free Speech

The New York Times reported that a senior Department of Justice official recently “instructed more than a half dozen U.S. attorneys’ offices to draft plans to investigate” the Open Society Foundations — philanthropies funded by billionaire George Soros — for charges ranging from arson to material support of terrorism, Christopher Justin Einhoff of Northern Illinois University wrote for The Conversation.

Many nonprofit scholars are watching to see whether the U.S. moves further down this road toward authoritarianism, holds its current course, or reverses course. (Photo: George Soros) 

The philanthropic institution denied any wrongdoing.

“These accusations are politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with and undermine the First Amendment right to free speech,” the Open Society Foundations said in response to the reported investigations.

“When power is abused to take away the rights of some people, it puts the rights of all people at risk.”

After the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Vice President JD Vance threatened “to go after the NGO network that foments, facilitates, and engages in violence,” including the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations, despite there being no evidence that these organizations support violence.

Some nonprofits have published open letters, issued public statements and provided congressional testimony opposing the administration’s claims. What happens next is unclear.

The threat to strip organizations of their nonprofit status may be an empty one, given that the Supreme Court has ruled such action is regulated by law and the president cannot do it on a whim.

Many nonprofit scholars are watching to see whether the U.S. moves further down this road toward authoritarianism, holds its current course, or reverses course.

“We are studying how America’s flourishing civil society resists any restrictions that limit the freedoms that have largely been taken for granted — until now,” Einhoff concluded.