Congress Members Warn of Pro-CCP Propaganda Surge from Singham-Funded Groups

Members of Congress expressed alarm over a rise in pro-Chinese Communist Party propaganda and rhetoric in the United States, pointing to organizations linked to Shanghai-based Marxist businessman Neville Roy Singham.

In interviews with Fox News Digital, several House and Senate members said nonprofits backed by Singham spread communist propaganda and anti-American messages that sow discord. "When you talk about the nonprofits, you have to look at how China adversely uses or how China uses our nonprofit 501(c)(3) status organizations to work as CCP influencers," Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital.

"Singham's group is one of these, as they try to spread and influence other organizations and participate with other organizations in protests, in demonstrations that are going to create chaos in the streets of U.S. cities," she said. "When it comes to China specifically, they have used soft propaganda as a main point of entry with the United States."

A Fox News Digital investigation found Singham directed $278 million to a network of nonprofits since 2017. Officials at the Justice, State and Treasury departments are examining financial flows in the network, including $22.5 million sent to The People's Forum.

Singham's wife, Jodie Evans, co-founded CodePink, which received $1.33 million from him, per the investigation. CodePink has backed communist governments, including the Chinese Communist Party and Cuba's regime.

Critics say the distinction between Singham's funding and direct Chinese government money makes little difference. "CodePink are AstroTurf weirdos bought and paid for by Communist China. They get their money from the most oppressive regime on the planet," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. "They're a joke."

CodePink filed an ethics complaint against Hawley, who called his comments simply exposing their acceptance of blood money from China.

Lawmakers questioned why CodePink and the Singham network operate without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which mandates disclosure of political work or lobbying for foreign governments to the Justice Department. "How they're not registered under FARA is hard to understand because they're very consistent. I mean, let's at least give them credit for that," Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

Even former lawmakers and Capitol Hill staff must register under FARA if they lobby for foreign-backed entities. "It should be no surprise that, whether it's folks associated with the Communist Party of China or, frankly, other anti-American groups, would be funding these groups in the United States. [These groups’] sole role is pretty evident, to protect, defend and support anti-Americans," he said. "Whether it is terrorist groups [or] terrorist regimes like the one in Iran or the one in Cuba."

Singham sold his technology firm Thoughtworks in 2017 for an estimated $785 million and relocated to Shanghai. A 2023 New York Times report tied him to the Chinese Communist Party and detailed his efforts to promote radical anti-Western views in the U.S. and worldwide.

Fox News Digital traced Singham's funding and network, which pushes communist and Marxist ideas through a U.S. organizing hub. That group staged actions against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and led protests against Israel, the United States and its policies.

"The real crux of the matter is the genesis of that money — is [Singham] really that rich," Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. "Or is it a false rich that, yeah, he's got a billion dollars, but the billion dollars came from China communist China that they are actually funneling him, and then making believe, 'Oh, no, he made that on his own.' We've got to find out exactly where that money came from."

Gimenez and other lawmakers noted that individual protesters and Singham himself have not registered with the Justice Department's FARA office. Congressional committees have probed Singham's activities before, but his Shanghai residence blocks subpoenas.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., called Singham "an individual who lives in Shanghai, maintains business ties with companies and individuals linked to the CCP, works with and physically alongside a foreign propaganda company, and attends CCP forums on how to promote the party abroad."