DOJ official directs prosecutors to prepare probes of George Soros' foundation
Multiple top federal prosecutors at U.S. attorney's offices around the country received a directive Monday to prepare to launch investigations into the Open Society Foundations, a group funded by the billionaire Democratic donor George Soros, multiple sources confirmed to ABC News.
The order from Aakash Singh, a senior official in Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's office, was sent to U.S. attorney's offices in at least seven states, the sources confirmed, including California, New York, Illinois, Michigan and Maryland.
The letter lists potential charges prosecutors could take under consideration as they prepare to investigate the Open Society Foundations, ranging from material support to terrorism, arson, wire fraud and racketeering, the sources said.
"This DOJ, along with our hard-working and dedicated U.S. Attorneys, will always prioritize public safety and investigate organizations that conspire to commit acts of violence or other federal violations of law," a spokesperson for the Justice Department told ABC News when asked about the directive.
A spokesperson for Open Society Foundations, in a statement to ABC News, said, "The Open Society Foundations unequivocally condemn terrorism and do not fund terrorism. Our activities are peaceful and lawful, and our grantees are expected to abide by human rights principles and comply with the law."
"These accusations are politically motivated attacks on civil society, meant to silence speech the administration disagrees with and undermine the First Amendment right to free speech. When power is abused to take away the rights of some people, it puts the rights of all people at risk," the statement said.
The directive comes as President Donald Trump and senior White House officials have ramped up their demands in recent week that the Justice Department and FBI more aggressively pursue groups on the left that they claim have fueled recent acts of political violence around the country.
The New York Times was the first to report on Singh's directive.
Both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance specifically singled out Soros in public comments since the killing of right wing influencer Charlie Kirk, with Trump saying in an interview with Fox News that Soros should be investigated for racketeering.
