Grassley probes Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Ford Foundation for tax law compliance

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has opened investigations into the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Ford Foundation for tax law compliance, following reports that the liberal foundations are giving millions of dollars to entities connected with the Chinese Communist Party.

Grassley sent the letters to the foundations about the probes on Oct. 27.

“According to recent reports, [your organizations], through grants and direct payments, have funded the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its allies,” Grassley wrote. “I am writing today to ask you whether these reports are true or not and, if true, how your organization’s conduct comports with 501(c)(3) requirements.”

“To maintain tax exempt status, an organization’s activities must be charitable in nature and may not directly support or promote the interests of a foreign government,” he added.

The letters follow reports from the Washington Examiner on the foundations' donations, per their tax forms.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund donated $7.4 million to organizations that are either part of the Chinese government, led by members of the CCP, or engaged in partnerships with China between April 2020 and August 2024, the Examiner reported.

The Gates Foundation reportedly sent about $11.7 million to various CCP arms, in addition to $2 million to a Chinese rail company that the Defense Department says is part of China’s military apparatus, and $6.7 million to Chinese state-run universities just in 2023.

The Ford Foundation reportedly gave nearly $10 million between April 2020 and November 2023 to various arms of the Chinese government for the Belt and Road Initiative, the CCP’s global infrastructure development project. 

“We have received the Senate Judiciary Committee’s letter. The Gates Foundation complies with all laws governing our charitable work and tax-exempt status. Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives,” a Gates Foundation spokesperson told the National Review.

“The Ford Foundation carries out its philanthropic activities with independence and integrity and in full compliance with all applicable laws. Our grants in China are intended to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement—these are fundamental American values and priorities,” the Ford Foundation told the Review.

“It is of utmost importance to us that our funds are used for charitable purposes in alignment with our mission and values, and we have robust controls in place to ensure that each grant is expended only for its intended objective.”

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund didn't immediately respond to the Review's request for comment.