Rinse, Repeat: Investigation Finds Taxpayers to Gavin to CHIRLA to Newsom

The last time we heard from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the anti-ICE pro-illegal immigration group was at Mayor Karen Bass's side cheering on the June 2025 Los Angeles riots tearing their city apart. Six months before that, the pro-illegal immigration group received taxpayer funds to help immigrants whom the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires burned out of their homes. CHIRLA received L.A. city and county money. And before that, CHIRLA was hoovering up COVID tax money for Get Out the Vote (GOTV) outreach to its immigrant constituency — many of them illegal aliens. 

Now, we're discovering that CHIRLA is part of what appears to be a money laundering scheme — supporting anti-American riots while also pouring $500,000 into the political campaign to save Gov. Gavin Newsom from being recalled. 

Well, well, well.

To those who have been paying attention to CHIRLA, this probably comes as no surprise, our RedState colleague Jen Van Laar was instrumental in blowing up the CHIRLA's riot connection within days of the Waymo car torchings, attempts to kill cops, mobbing of ICE officers, and dropping of cement blocks from overpasses to hurt or stop law enforcement. 

Here's the head of CHIRLA last June bragging about her group's conspiracy to illegally impede federal officers at several Los Angeles locations. 

Bankrolling riots that hurt Angelenos is a tough allegation to make. And independent reporter Cam Higby came with receipts. 

Higby, who has done great work from Minneapolis and Portland protests, now reveals that CHIRLA has some 'splainin' to do:

I have discovered that the state of California is using taxpayer funds to subsidize non-profit organizations whose core function is to organize protests. CHIRLA (@CHIRLA) has taken over $100M alone in tax-payer funds according to the state expenditure website. Based on their website, CHIRLA's primary function is protest-related activities and left-wing advocacy. They have been protesting and advocating since 1986 and take credit for some Newsom policies. 

The laundering of tax money to CHIRLA to Gavin Newsom's campaign to fight his recall shows some real chutzpah. It's not as if Newsom would turn himself or his friends in for an illegal campaign donation. And now it becomes clear why. 

Reporter Susan Crabtree added to independent reporter Higby's blockbuster X thread outlining his investigation into how CHIRLA did the old rinse and repeat move between its tax money support and Riot Incorporated. She says she and Jedd McFatter, the coauthor of the book Fool's Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us, discovered CHIRLA bankrolled a $500,000 donation supporting Gavin Newsom's campaign against being recalled.

🚨🚨Outstanding work @camhigby! And check this out: My co-author found that CHRLA spent $500,000 of its taxpayer funds to defend @GavinNewsom against being recalled.

DON’T BE FOOLED by @GavinNewsom. Read 💰Fool’s Gold💰

Forward by @peterschweizer, endorsed by @mirandadevine. https://t.co/gUOmgm4Bnr

— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) February 21, 2026

So CHIRLA created or contributed to a PAC with taxpayer money to give to their patron Newsom? Sure looks likes it. 

DataRepublican dug up some documents, and discovered that CHIRLA's $16.5 million building is paying property taxes for a building valued at $4 million. 

Can anyone who is more familiar with CA property tax laws confirm or explain @LauraPowellEsq 's work?

The TL;DR is that when CHIRLA bought their new headquarters at 1730 W Olympic Blvd in 2023 for 16.5 million, they still are paying property taxes as if it were valued at 4… https://t.co/JPVf5aR1dS pic.twitter.com/MRvz2iYImI

— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) June 20, 2025

And as Jen pointed out last August, the cozy collaboration between these groups and Democrats is like watching an old movie on loop: They all seem to be the same people.

🧵A bit of the ties between leftist NGOs like CHIRLA (one of the groups funding anti-ICE riots and violence) and the CA "independent" redistricting commission...

Commissioner Sara Sadhwani, who spoke at Newsom's presser Friday, has worked for these NGO's for her entire career… pic.twitter.com/33xq9tuzdy

— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) August 18, 2025

Now that there's a fresh pair of eyes on this information, Cam Higby can bring more fire and light to the issue of how the California taxpayers are paying for their own demise — and how Gavin Newsom is benefiting. 

We can never stop talking and reporting about the cadre running California. This self-licking ice cream cone of corruption has got to stop. 

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