Lawmakers Demand Documents from Singham-Tied Nonprofits Before Deadline

Lawmakers have pushed their investigation harder against three nonprofits tied to Marxist tech billionaire Neville Roy Singham. They warn that leaders inside these groups could face Congress under oath if they do not hand over documents by Tuesday. The Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee sent fresh letters asking for financial records and other papers. Officials are checking whether millions moving through Singham's network of tax-exempt charities support Chinese Communist Party goals in the United States.

Singham now sits among 21 people identified as possible witnesses who must testify under oath, according to sources from Fox News Digital. This list covers nonprofit bosses, activists, and journalists connected to the three organizations. The probe focuses on The People's Forum Inc., an activist hub based in New York City. It also targets BreakThrough News, a left-wing media outlet sharing a Manhattan address with The People's Forum. Finally, investigators look at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, a Marxist think tank located in Massachusetts.

Jason Smith, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee from Missouri, issued a sharp statement about the situation. He claims Shanghai Singham poured millions into these groups to exploit America's nonprofit sector and spread Chinese Communist Party propaganda. That funding level is already public record. Smith says what these organizations hide away is even more troubling. The committee demands documents or they will force leaders to answer questions under penalty of perjury. This threat marks a major step up from earlier requests for financial data in 2025. The pressure grew when the committee subpoenaed the three nonprofits back in July.

The groups have fought back against this inquiry. They argue lawmakers are targeting their political views and activities protected by the First Amendment. Potential deposition targets include eight individuals at The People's Forum, seven at BreakThrough News, and six at Tricontinental. Manolo De Los Santos serves as executive director for The People's Forum, while Layan Fuleihan handles education duties there. David Chung works as an organizing director in that same organization. Ben Becker leads BreakThrough News as editor-in-chief alongside news director Zoe Alexandra and chief correspondent Rania Khalek. Vijay Prashad runs Tricontinental as its executive director. Neville Roy Singham appears on the list as chairman of its international advisory board.

The committee has not yet publicly confirmed that deposition subpoenas went out to any specific individual. The panel alleges Singham moved money through shell companies and donor-advised funds before it reached these three tax-exempt groups. Such arrangements let foreign-linked funding pass through intermediaries designed to obscure the original source of contributions. Singham is an American-born technology tycoon and longtime Marxist activist who sold his software company ThoughtWorks for roughly $785 million in 2017. He now lives in Shanghai.

Fox News Digital previously traced at least $278 million flowing from Singham into six core US nonprofits acting as funding hubs within a wider international network. This broader network includes activist groups, media organizations, and think tanks promoting socialist, communist, and pro-China causes. Of that total funding, the investigation found $22.44 million went to The People's Forum. Tricontinental received $16.76 million of those funds. BreakThrough BT Media Inc., the parent organization for BreakThrough News, got $1.098 million.

Three groups faced a combined financial probe totaling roughly $40.3 million, a figure confirmed by an internal committee report referenced in earlier letters. Officials are now asking if current tax rules truly shield nonprofits from foreign sway and whether Congress needs to tighten those laws to stop such influence.

Singham stands alone under a federal grand jury investigation in the Southern District of New York regarding alleged financial crimes tied to his nonprofit funding network, as Fox News Digital previously noted. The probe looks into possible wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and other offenses. No criminal charges have been filed against him yet.

BreakThrough News pushed back hard. On October 9, the outlet issued a statement condemning new demands and claiming the committee targets its journalists because of their political views. They insisted they take no outside editorial direction and noted that major donations come from U.S. organizations. Hosts Alexandra and Khalek appeared on BT Live to denounce the subpoenas.

"Unless BT gives up its legal rights, including our First Amendment protections, he'll subpoena each of us individually and drag us to Washington for depositions," Alexandra said. Khalek added that lawmakers would come after them personally if they did not comply with what she called unconstitutional demands. The group urged supporters to sign a petition against the investigation and donate money to cover legal bills.

Fox News Digital reached out to all three organizations and their attorneys for comment but had received no reply by publication time. Prominent left-wing figures have joined the fray, labeling the situation McCarthyism. Twitch streamer Hasan Piker called the July subpoenas "the McCarthy trials" and warned that others will be next. Medea Benjamin of CodePink described the actions as a terrible attack on independent journalism.

The timeline shows the committee first asked for records from The People's Forum in September 2025. In February 2026, they expanded the inquiry to include BreakThrough News and Tricontinental. After the groups challenged the requests, lawmakers narrowed their demands in May before issuing formal subpoenas in July.

The request focused on foreign-linked funding, financial arrangements, communications with Singham, and details about donors and overseas grants. Attorneys for BreakThrough News and The People's Forum formally objected in August. They argued the subpoenas violated First Amendment protections and asked for information beyond what falls under legitimate legislative authority.

"A witch-hunt is not a valid legislative purpose," the attorneys wrote in their Aug. 7 responses. They compared the current investigation to the House Un-American Activities Committee work from the 1940s and 1950s. The organizations noted that lawmakers changed the stated purpose of the probe repeatedly as they challenged earlier requests. Both sides left open the possibility of responding if the committee revised its demands.

The committee rejected those arguments, sticking to their stance that the investigation concerns finances and structure rather than political views or journalism.