#The Black Lives Matter Foundation must stop soliciting donations in New York, AG says

The Black Lives Matter Foundation must stop soliciting donations from New Yorkers, who think the organization is affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, the state attorney general said Monday.

The California-based foundation isn’t registered as a charitable organization in New York, making it illegal for it to collect contributions in the state, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In a letter to the foundation’s president, Robert Ray Barnes, the AG’s office demanded that the group immediately stop soliciting donations in New York and file financial reports disclosing the amount of money it had raised.

“Every organization that seeks to solicit donations from New Yorkers must follow state laws,” said James in a statement. “We will also fight for transparency so that donors’ goodwill isn’t preyed upon by opportunists.

“The Black Lives Matter Foundation failed to register or file any financial documents with the state, and therefore, has failed to provide New Yorkers with information on how their donations will be used. ”

The foundation, whose objective is “bringing the community and police closer together,” has benefited massively from donors who thought they were giving to the global movement to end police brutality, BuzzFeed reported.

The foundation, a nonprofit with only one paid employee and a UPS store as its address, raised at least $4 million after the killing of George Floyd, according to the news site. Some of its high-profile donors included Apple, Microsoft and Google. The bulk of the funds were frozen after the foundation came under scrutiny.

“The Santa Clarita group is improperly using our name,” a spokesman for the Black Lives Matter movement told Buzzfeed. “We intend to call them out and follow up.”

Barnes did not return a request for comment.