Full Breakdown
CodePink’s China Tour Triggers Federal Probe of Singham-Linked Funding
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A California-based nonprofit, CodePink, organized a 12-day, 11-night tour of China for its co-founders Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans. Participants were told they could expect to be “greeted by local Shanghai comrades” and that the trip would cost between $3,000 and $4,000 per person.
Background of the Singham Network
The tour is linked to a broader funding network centered on Neville Roy Singham, a 72-year-old former tech entrepreneur who sold his company for an estimated $785 million in 2017. Fox News Digital reports that Singham has funneled $278 million since 2017 into a wide array of nonprofits, including CodePink, many of which have organized anti-ICE, anti-Israel and pro-Iran demonstrations. Singham is described as a “pro-CCP tycoon” whose personal political beliefs, rather than direct Chinese government direction, guide his philanthropy.
Investigation Details
In June, the Justice Department’s U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York opened a grand-jury investigation into alleged money-laundering, bank fraud and wire fraud involving Singham and his network. The probe focuses on whether funds were improperly channeled to influence U.S. political activity. No criminal charges have been filed against Singham or the associated organizations to date.
Official Responses
Both Singham and CodePink have denied that the nonprofit receives direction or money from the Chinese Communist Party. Singham asserts that his donations are motivated solely by his own political convictions, while Benjamin maintains that CodePink does not receive Chinese government funding.
Potential Implications
The investigation highlights growing congressional and law-enforcement attention to foreign-linked influence operations in the United States. If the probe uncovers violations, it could lead to tighter scrutiny of nonprofit financing and possible legislative action aimed at increasing transparency of foreign-related funding streams.