In court documents, James claims that, in 2020, the Brimelow family used about $1.4 million of VDARE’s charitable funds to purchase a “medieval-style castle” in West Virginia.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against the VDARE Foundation, a right-wing nonprofit now accused of self-dealing and the alleged theft of at least $2 million in charitable assets.
According to the Morgan Messenger, the VDARE Foundation operated a far-right blog that promoted white nationalist rhetoric and anti-immigration policies. The lawsuit names defendants including the Foundation’s controlling members, Peter and Lydia Brimelow.
In court documents, James claims that, in 2020, the Brimelow family used about $1.4 million of VDARE’s charitable funds to purchase a “medieval-style castle” in West Virginia. On paper, the Foundation justified its acquisition by saying that it planned to use the property for conferences and as office space.
However, James’s office says that this plan never quite came to fruition. Instead, the Brimelows “promptly moved their family in and then orchestrated a series of transactions transferring ownership of the property to companies they owned or controlled.”
James, in a press release announcing the lawsuit, said that the Brimelows treated the VDARE Foundation like a “personal piggy bank.”
“Charities are intended to serve the public, not to bankroll castles or pad personal fortunes,” James said. “The Brimelows used VDARE like their personal piggy bank, draining millions in charitable assets to enrich themselves. New Yorkers deserve accountability, and we will not allow these bad actors to keep abusing the trust of their donors and the public. My office is taking action to ensure these funds are used for their intended charitable purpose, remove the Brimelows from control, and shut down this fraudulent organization.”
Defendant Peter Brimelow has since told the Morgan Messenger that James’s lawsuit is an extension of longstanding political animosity.
“What new in these charges is that James is clearly not content with closing the website, liquidating the VDARE foundation and bankrupting us personally — she also wants to seize the Castle itself,” Brimelow told the Messenger in a digital statement.
But the lawsuit raises concerns beyond alleged misappropriation at Berkely, claiming that, by the time VDARE announced the closure of its website in 2024, the Brimelow family had funneled “millions of dollars in charitable assets … to family-controlled entities.”
“No inquiry or determination was made at any time by the non-Brimelow directors of VDARE’s board as to whether those payments to Peter and Lydia Brimelow were for legitimate business purposes, reasonable, or in service of VDARE’s mission,” the lawsuit alleges.
Sources
NY Attorney General files suit against Brimelows, claiming misuse of charitable funds tied to castle
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