Government Accountability Institute President Peter Schweizer says the Justice Department may finally have the investigative tools needed to answer questions he has spent years pursuing.
During a recent interview, Schweizer pointed to reported DOJ scrutiny involving tech billionaire Neville Roy Singham and argued that investigators should focus on whether foreign connections, nonprofit funding and organized protest activity crossed legal lines.
“The Department of Justice is looking at, I think, particularly that foreign angle,” Schweizer said.
He described Singham as an American-born businessman, self-described Maoist, and founder of ThoughtWorks, who later moved to Shanghai after selling the company.
“He made about $1 billion off of that deal, and then promptly moved to Shanghai, China, which is where he lives now,” Schweizer said.
Schweizer alleged that Singham has directed money to organizations including the People’s Forum and groups connected to the Party for Socialism and Liberation. He argued investigators should examine whether any undisclosed foreign relationships could create potential exposure under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
“If he is not disclosing those contacts, he could be in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” Schweizer said. “And, of course, it could go even further than that, depending what the allegation is.”
Schweizer also urged investigators to examine the financial operations of nonprofit organizations.
“These are 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) charities that are supposed to be for the general good,” he said. “The allegation is that these are actually disruptive organizations that are causing trouble on American streets.”
As the discussion turned to recent protests, Schweizer drew a distinction between peaceful demonstrations and organized violence.
“You might have a peaceful protest somewhere where people are holding signs,” he said. “People from these groups will show up, and they will start throwing Molotov cocktails… because they want a fight and they want the disruption.”
Schweizer said he expects federal investigators to rely on subpoena power to trace financial records and communications in ways journalists cannot.
“They are going to use their subpoena power to look at the flow of funds. They will be able to look at communications,” he said. “It is going to be very, very interesting… to look under the hood, something that I have not been able to do because I am just a journalist.”
He added, “I imagine they are going to find some pretty explosive stuff.”
Schweizer stressed any prosecution must be grounded in criminal conduct rather than political disagreements.
“The claim from the left is going to be this is just political, you are silencing speech,” Schweizer said. “But… you are talking about violent criminal activity.”
Pointing to past prosecutions involving individuals accused of violent conduct during protests in Texas and to domestic terrorism charges filed in connection with protests targeting Atlanta’s planned “Cop City” training facility, Schweizer argued authorities have shown they can successfully distinguish constitutionally protected protest from alleged criminal violence.
“It has got to be fact-driven,” he said. “You have to put the evidence out there for the American people to see and to know precisely what it is they are saying they are doing and what evidence you have for what they have done.”
Listen to the appearance above.
