Crime and Democracy – Capital Research Center

Hoovering Up Henry's Money: A Guide to Ford Foundation Grants (Complete Series)
Free money versus free enterprise | Revolutions and megaphones
Crime and democracy | Shaping the news

Crime and democracy

The claim that there has never been a simple, multicultural democracy and the promise to introduce it is clearly a promising message for the prospective fellows.

Paradoxically, however, Ford's philanthropists also love the narrative that a once great multi-ethnic democracy is in danger.

The Center for Public Integrity The website warns that “our country is facing historic attacks on the existence of a multiracial democracy” because white America is “on the verge of becoming a minority.” Ford employees were alarmed enough to send a $250,000 grant in September 2023, which they described as “general support to protect democracy and inspire change through investigative reporting.”

“Our democracy is in danger,” reads the bold headline at the top of the Project “Protect Democracy” Website that is also adorned with images of Ford's favored masked protesters and megaphones. A link on the main page claiming “Authoritarianism is on the rise” leads to an image of Donald Trump surrounded by the dictators of Russia, China and Venezuela.

This reckless overreach was enough to release a $300,000 grant from Ford in July 2023, fulfilling a total commitment of $700,000 dating back to 2022.

Those hoping to win Henry’s money with this particular brand of scaremongering can learn a lot from the Center for Western StatesRecipient of a $400,000 grant to “Defense Democracy” in April 2024. Previously, the nonprofit organization sponsored 1/6a comic book series that, according to Western States, “illustrates in a chilling way how close we have come to authoritarian rule in America and the threats to our democracy we still face.” A 2022 Ford grant was for “the development of a graphic novel about the events of January 6 at the Capitol.”

But grant applicants should not confuse Ford's desire to defend democracy with a willingness to defend the people in that democracy.

Fair and just prosecution promotes its partnership with a “new generation of elected prosecutors” who are part of an “incredible movement” that “emerged with a strong vision to transform the criminal justice system.”

A member of the movement is a former district attorney of San Francisco Chesa BoudinThe biological or adopted son of not less than four members of the Weather underground Chesa, a communist terror cell, was set up specifically to appeal to the Bay Area's vocally left-leaning electorate. But in reality, even they had enough of his indifference in pursuing rampant thefts and recalled him in June 2022.

Ironically Tide Centera left-leaning nonprofit advocacy group in San Francisco, is the financial sponsor of Fair and Just Prosecution. Ford awarded Tides a $400,000 grant for the Fair and Just project in April 2023. In March 2024, Ford awarded Tides another $400,000 grant to spend on “social justice activists advocating for a pro-democracy framework.” For all of its projects since the beginning of 2023, Tides has received more than $2.6 million from Ford.

In addition to Boudin, two other Fair and Just Prosecution allies are Cook County District Attorney Kim Foxx and Marilyn Mosby, former Maryland District Attorney for the city of Baltimore. Foxx's indifference to prosecuting crimes in Chicago was so embarrassing that she either chose (or was urged by the local Democratic Party machine) not to run for re-election. Mosby lost re-election after being indicted by federal authorities and was then convicted of perjury and mortgage fraud, which she says is neither fair nor just.

Another former prosecutor, Monique Worrell, Orange County and Osceola County prosecutor, was suspended by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in August 2023. Part of the reason for this was given by the Colorofchange.org Education Fundin which Worrell was praised for implementing “policies that could avoid mandatory minimum sentences for gun offenses and drug trafficking offenses.”

These were the very measures Color Of Change had “advocated in our efforts to elect progressive prosecutors,” and so they responded with a petition that failed (after a year) to persuade DeSantis to change his mind. But the Ford Philanthropists responded with a $295,000 grant in April 2024.

Another failed petition attempt by Color of Change aimed to defund the police. And it's not the only example of recent Ford Fellows taking this position.

The Vera Institute of Justice has received at least $850,000 from Ford since April 2023. “Vera is committed to dismantling the current police culture and working toward solutions that defund police and shift power to communities,” Vera's president wrote in June 2020.

The Commitment to the Racial Justice Education Fund received $600,000 in November 2023. The description of the Ford grant said the money was intended as “support to advance the fight for racial and economic justice.” Advocating for racial justicethe group's advocacy group, has developed a toolkit called “Defund the Police” to “help white communities learn and respond to calls to invest money in communities and divest from the police.”

In the next episode, Ford showers grants to those who help establish left-wing messages in media and culture.