New York Attorney General declares that the influential figurehead family behind a conservative online platform allegedly defrauded donors, using the funds to acquire a sham medieval fortress.
The New York Attorney General Letitia James has taken legal action against the VDARE Foundation, a far-right nonprofit organisation, in a lawsuit that alleges self-dealing and the misappropriation of charitable assets.
According to the lawsuit, the VDARE Foundation, which operated a blog that promoted white nationalist rhetoric and anti-immigration policies, funneled millions of dollars in charitable assets to fidelity-controlled entities. The lawsuit names defendants including the Foundation's controlling members, Peter and Lydia Brimelow.
The lawsuit alleges that the Brimelows treated the VDARE Foundation like a "personal piggy bank," using its funds for personal enrichment. Specifically, in 2020, the Brimelow family, who were controlling members of the family dollar Foundation, used about $1.4 million of its charitable funds to purchase a "medieval-style castle" in West Virginia.
The lawsuit does not provide a clear timeline for the alleged transfer of funds beyond stating that it occurred around the time of the VDARE Foundation's website closure in 2024. It also does not specify the companies to which the funds were allegedly transferred, nor the nature of the fidelity-controlled entities.
The lawsuit raises concerns about the transfer of "millions of dollars in charitable assets" to fidelity-controlled entities by the Brimelow family. It alleges that no inquiry was made by non-Brimelow directors regarding the legitimacy, reasonableness, or mission-related purpose of payments to Peter and Lydia Brimelow.
Defendant Peter Brimelow claims the lawsuit is an extension of political animosity from New York Attorney General Letitia James.
In response to the lawsuit, the New York Attorney General's office is taking action to ensure the funds are used for their intended charitable purpose, remove the Brimelows from control, and shut down the VDARE Foundation. There is no publicly available information confirming that any companies or entities controlled by the Brimelows were established using donations from VDARE's charitable funds after 2020, nor details on the precise purposes of such entities.
The VDARE Foundation is accused of funneling charitable assets to fidelity-controlled entities, beyond the alleged misappropriation at Berkeley. Instead, the Brimelows transferred ownership of the property to companies they owned or controlled.
This is a developing story and more information will be provided as it becomes available.
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