LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 02: Patrisse Cullors speaks on stage at the Teen Vogue Summit 2019 at Goya Studios on November 02, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Teen Vogue)
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors recently made headlines for addressing her lavish LA mansion purchase. Now, BLM tax documents reveal her brother and child’s father were paid with donated money.
According to AP News, Cullors used donated funds to pay her brother $840,000 for “professional security services.” Shalomyah Bowers, the foundation’s board secretary, told the Associated Press that Paul Cullors’ company was hired because the group felt that its protection could not be entrusted to former police officers.
She also paid out more than $969,000 for Trap Heals LLC. Damon Turner, who fathered a child with Cullors, founded the company. He provided live-event and media production services for the money.
The tax filing reportedly lists Cullors as “uncompensated” since resigning last year. The co-founder actually reimbursed the organization. $73,523 for a charter flight for foundation-related travel. The organization says she took in 2021 out of concern for COVID-19 and security threats.
She also paid the foundation $390 for two private events held at their mansion in LA. The foundation also spent nearly $140,000 in severance to a former managing director.
The documents revealed that Black Lives Matter paid close to $26 million in grants to organizations, local chapters, and families. This included contributions of $2.3 million to the non-profit organization Living Through Giving Foundation, $1.4 million to The Michael O.D. Brown We Love Our Sons & Daughters Foundation, and $200,000 to the Trayvon Martin Foundation.
