Justice Department Orders Probe Into Soros Foundations
President Trump’s DOJ directs federal prosecutors to investigate billionaire’s nonprofit for alleged extremist ties.
The Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has ordered U.S. attorneys’ offices in California, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit, and Maryland to prepare criminal investigations into George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. This directive, issued Monday by Aakash Singh from the deputy attorney general’s office, suggests charges like racketeering, arson, wire fraud, and material support for terrorism, breaking from long-standing norms shielding federal law enforcement from political influence.
The order cites a Capital Research Center report claiming the foundation funneled over $80 million to groups tied to extremist violence, including al-Haq, a Palestinian organization Israel labeled a terrorist front in 2022. The U.S. State Department sanctioned al-Haq in September 2025 for supporting the International Criminal Court’s probe into Israel.
President Trump has long targeted Soros, accusing him of fueling unrest. In an August Truth Social post, he wrote: “George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America.” The probe gained momentum after the September 10, 2025, assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event, which President Trump linked to radical left groups backed by Soros.
Since 2023, Alexander Soros has chaired the Open Society Foundations, which has disbursed over $32 billion since 1979 to promote human rights, democracy, and equity, starting in post-communist nations and expanding to the U.S. in the 1990s. The foundation condemned the investigation as “politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with and undermine the First Amendment right to free speech,” denying any ties to terrorism and affirming its work is “solely dedicated to strengthening democracy and upholding constitutional freedoms.”
This move aligns with President Trump’s broader push to target adversaries, including investigations into James Comey and Letitia James. In Maryland, U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes, appointed interim in February 2025 and confirmed in June, declined to comment amid scrutiny over prosecutorial independence. Supporters see the probe as necessary oversight of Soros’s influence, long criticized on the right, while detractors argue it threatens philanthropy and free speech.
Sources: New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, State Department, Desert News, NPR.