The House Ways and Means Committee has escalated its investigation into foreign money flowing into American activist groups, issuing formal subpoenas this month to three left-wing nonprofits. The move comes after the organizations failed to comply with earlier requests for documents concerning financial ties to Neville Roy Singham, a former U.S. tech executive now residing in Shanghai. Federal lawmakers allege that Singham's money has been used to build an extensive network of American nonprofits, prompting the committee to seek a comprehensive paper trail.
"The legal delays that these Singham-backed organizations have put forward are completely without merit. As we continue our investigation into the tax-exempt sector, there is urgency on the Committee’s part to determine whether and how non-profit funding sources and fiscal sponsorships may have helped to sow chaos and violence in the United States on behalf of foreign actors." — Chairman Jason Smith, House Ways and Means Committee
The three organizations now facing legal compulsion are BreakThrough News, the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, and The People’s Forum. Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) initially requested documents from these groups in letters dated May 4, 2026, setting a May 18 deadline for compliance. None of the organizations met this deadline, leading to Smith's decision to issue subpoenas. These legal demands now seek what the initial letters could not secure: a full accounting of how foreign money has moved through the organizations' books, with records requested stretching back to 2017.
Investigators are specifically demanding disclosure of any fiscal sponsorship arrangements involving foreign funds or foreign entities since 2017. This includes contracts linking sponsored projects to foreign nationals. The subpoenas also target internal communications, particularly any correspondence between staff at these organizations and Singham or other foreign principals that touches on finances, governance, or organizational structure. Donor transparency is another key objective of the investigation, with demands for a full list of foreign donors who have contributed more than $5,000, regardless of whether the money arrived directly or through intermediaries like shell companies and donor-advised funds. A roster of overseas grant recipients is also required.
This is not the committee's first engagement with the issue. Earlier correspondence from Chairman Smith's office had already highlighted a web of tax-exempt groups allegedly connected to Singham's fortune, presenting dollar figures that raised significant concerns on Capitol Hill. For example, The People’s Forum reportedly received over $20 million from Singham and his wife between 2017 and 2022. The committee asserts that this money was channeled through shell companies and donor-advised funds before reaching the organization's accounts. BreakThrough News is also implicated, reportedly collecting over $1 million since 2020 through vehicles such as the Justice and Education Fund, the Progress Unity Fund, and the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund.
The committee's stated mission extends beyond mere fact-finding. Officials are probing whether existing tax-exempt laws are adequately equipped to handle this type of foreign-aligned funding and whether the original intent behind granting tax-exempt status is being honored or exploited. The possibility of legislative reform is now being considered, with the panel signaling openness to new rules designed to prevent tax-exempt status from being used as a shield for foreign influence operations operating through interconnected nonprofit entities.
Chairman Smith publicly expressed his frustration in the May 18 letter accompanying the subpoenas. "The legal delays that these Singham-backed organizations have put forward are completely without merit," Smith stated. "As we continue our investigation into the tax-exempt sector, there is urgency on the Committee’s part to determine whether and how non-profit funding sources and fiscal sponsorships may have helped to sow chaos and violence in the United States on behalf of foreign actors. Accordingly, we have demanded BreakThrough News, Tricontinental, and The People’s Forum provide documents relevant to our investigation by May 18th." He further warned that continued resistance would lead to harsher measures, emphasizing the committee's readiness to deploy all available oversight tools.
The congressional effort is not the only investigation underway. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have launched an independent criminal probe into Singham’s financial dealings. This investigation has already resulted in subpoenas targeting bank records and financial documents. Prosecutors are reportedly examining whether the funding scheme crossed legal lines, potentially involving offenses such as money laundering, wire fraud, or bank fraud.
The scale of money involved is substantial. One report indicated approximately $278 million funneled by Singham into a nonprofit network since 2017, with a significant portion allegedly passing through concealment vehicles like the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund. This network is reported to extend beyond the three subpoenaed groups, potentially reaching organizations such as CodePink Women for Peace, the ANSWER Coalition, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation – groups known for left-wing activism and, in some instances, alleged ties to violent demonstrations. The effectiveness of these subpoenas in securing the requested documents remains to be seen, but the parallel congressional and criminal investigations indicate that Singham’s alleged funding network is now under unprecedented scrutiny.
