Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has set in motion an investigation into the financial backing of the recent protests in Los Angeles. The senator announced his actions through a public statement on Wednesday, raising the question: ‘Who is funding the LA riots?’ He asserted that the violence did not occur spontaneously and, as chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, he was launching an investigation to uncover the truth.
This development follows earlier reports that Hawley had written to Angelica Salas, the executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, also known as CHIRLA. His correspondence requested documentation pertaining to the organization’s alleged role in financing the unrest. Furthermore, he requested the preservation of all related documents from Nov. 5, 2024, to the present.
The senator’s letter stated, ‘Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions.’ He also reminded Salas that ‘bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech.’
CHIRLA, a left-leaning nonprofit based in Los Angeles, has reportedly received almost $34 million in government grants during the Biden administration, according to fiscal 2023 tax filings.
Recent reports indicate that the Service Employees International Union publicized a news conference with CHIRLA in Los Angeles last Friday. However, a CHIRLA spokesperson told the New York Post that apart from this news conference, they ‘have not participated, coordinated, or been part of the protests being registered in Los Angeles.’