Nonprofits Defy House Subpoena, Claim Lawmakers Target Free Speech

Two nonprofits have formally objected to subpoenas issued by the House Ways and Means Committee during an inquiry into communist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham's funding network. They accuse lawmakers of resurrecting "Red Scare" tactics specifically to target their political views. New York City-based BreakThrough News, a pro-China media outlet, and Peoples Forum Inc., a socialist activist group, sent letters from their attorneys to the committee arguing that these demands violate the First Amendment.

The lawyers claim Congress is targeting free speech, journalism, and political advocacy rather than conducting a legitimate tax-law investigation. In a statement to Fox News Digital, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., defended the probe and criticized the refusal to comply with the July 21 subpoenas. "Make no mistake: Compliance with a congressional subpoena isn't optional," Smith said. "The Committee will use all tools it has available to investigate whether foreign actors are exploiting our tax code to sow chaos and create division."

In their letters, attorneys for both organizations used identical language stating that "A witch-hunt is not a valid legislative purpose." They argued the committee's public statements reflect "the language of the Red Scare." Both groups say they do not have to comply as the subpoenas are currently framed because the demands are too broad. They seek information protected by the First Amendment and leave open the possibility of responding if the committee narrows its requests.

The two responses, dated Aug. 7 and shared on social media, mirror each other closely in tone and substance. Mara Verheyden-Hilliard co-signed the letter for Peoples Forum while Andrew Herman did so for BreakThrough News. Both attorneys have represented these groups through earlier inquiries and compared this congressional investigation to the House Un-American Activities Committee of the late 1940s and 1950s, which hunted suspected communist influence.

Digital records show the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund shares an address in a Florida Avenue NW townhouse with the ANSWER Coalition. This self-described communist group also operates out of Peoples Forum headquarters on W. 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The attorneys argue the committee has strayed beyond its traditional role of overseeing tax law by venturing into foreign influence, national security, and alleged propaganda issues.

The committee says in its July 21 subpoena cover letters that it seeks information about financing and structure to examine how Singham-linked money reached these tax-exempt groups. They want to know if foreign influence was involved. The committee has not accused any organization of criminal wrongdoing or illegal conduct yet. These letters describe $40.3 million in funding that flowed from Singham's network to BreakThrough News, Peoples Forum, and a third nonprofit called Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. Tricontinental describes its work as rooted in "national liberation Marxism." That group also submitted a response by the Aug. 7 deadline according to a source familiar with the investigation.

How much power does Congress really hold when it demands documents from groups simply because of their beliefs? The line between tax oversight and political persecution looks thin here. If the inquiry continues as planned, more small organizations might face similar threats to their existence based on their ideology alone.

Fox News Digital tried to get answers from Tricontinental and its legal team regarding a formal letter but walked away without a reply. GOP lawmakers are now rallying behind a Department of Justice probe into an alleged funding network linked to the Chinese Communist Party. The committee alleges the Singham network routed money through shell companies and donor-advised funds in ways that obscured the original source of those contributions. It says the investigation is examining whether existing tax laws adequately account for those funding arrangements and whether legislative changes are needed to address potential gaps.

Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold his software company ThoughtWorks for an estimated $785 million in 2017, now lives in Shanghai. He has directed at least $278 million into six core nonprofits that Fox News Digital previously reported promote socialist, communist and pro-China causes as part of a broader international network. This web includes media organizations, activist groups, and think tanks. The committee said the organizations failed to produce requested documents while the groups argued they weren't legally required to comply with requests framed in ways that violated First Amendment protections.

In a five-part investigation, Fox News Digital traced how the six nonprofits into which Singham poured $278 million serve as key funding hubs in this broader international network. Of that funding, the investigation found Singham pumped $22.44 million to People's Forum, $16.76 million to Tricontinental and $1.098 million to BreakThrough BT Media Inc., which is the parent organization of BreakThrough News. The total amount came to $40.298 million.

Challenging the subpoenas issued to these groups, BreakThrough News and People's Forum say the committee is demanding far more information than it needs to investigate their finances. They claim records would expose journalism, political activity, donors and associations that should remain private. The organizations argue they cannot be required to respond to a process that seeks to punish protected expression. Smith told Fox News Digital after months of delay he was disappointed but not surprised to see yet another attempt by these groups to evade scrutiny. He added that tax-exempt status is a privilege, not a right and the American people have every right to know what such organizations are hiding when they refuse lawful congressional oversight.

The committee disputes that argument and says its investigation examines whether existing tax laws governing tax-exempt organizations adequately account for foreign influence. They also question whether Congress needs to strengthen those laws. The committee hasn't publicly said it has evidence the organizations are hiding information about foreign influence yet. People's Forum points to an apparent copy-and-paste error in the subpoena they received, arguing one definition references BreakThrough News instead of their own group. Lawmakers claim lawmakers repeatedly changed the stated purpose of the investigation as groups pushed back against earlier requests for information.

The error strengthens the organizations' broader argument that lawmakers failed to shape their demands to fit the specific nature of the group or explain why every requested record ties into a legitimate legislative probe. Attorneys push back hard, insisting "the purpose of the letters and the subpoena is not legislative but rather for public exposure, public smearing, and personal aggrandizement." They claim the committee uses the investigation to publicly discredit these organizations instead of conducting proper congressional oversight.

Identical language appears in both letters sent out by the group. The documents also allege the committee "provided" correspondence from July 21 regarding the subpoenas before sending them to the intended recipient. This move, they say, turns inquiries designed for public exposure into a stunt rather than genuine legislative work. Fox News Digital ran its story about these letters only after delivery had occurred.

These written objections mirror a public messaging and fundraising push launched by the organizations and their allies once the subpoenas became public. Supporters quickly painted the investigation as a revival of McCarthyism and an attack on independent journalism. BreakThrough News host Rania Khalek took that line to Democracy Now! recently. She accused lawmakers of targeting the outlet because of its political views and journalism while encouraging viewers to financially support BreakThrough News as it fights the subpoenas.

The organizations also started fundraising and petition drives after the committee announced the orders. People's Forum asked for tax-deductible donations to cover legal expenses and organizing costs. Meanwhile, Khalek directed supporters toward a GoFundMe page and an Action Network petition opposing the congressional investigation. As Fox News Digital previously reported, Marxist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker called the subpoenas "the McCarthy trials" on X, warning, "They will come for you."

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink, another pro-China left-wing activist group that has received funding linked to Singham, described the subpoenas as a "terrible attack on independent journalism," adding, "We stand with you!!!" The exchange centers on July 21, 2026, when the House Ways and Means Committee issued its subpoena cover letters.