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CodePink’s Medea Benjamin confirms getting ‘serious’ Treasury Department query over Cuba trip
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CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin publicly confirmed for the first time that her organization received an inquiry from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), seeking detailed information about its March trip to Cuba.
The inquiry, which is often called an administrative subpoena, comes as the Trump administration signals a broad effort to increase federal scrutiny of nonprofit organizations operating in foreign-policy and activist spaces. Last October, after the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to strengthen enforcement against nonprofit entities that facilitate support for political violence.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced that message this week, arguing that nonprofit organizations and fiscal sponsors can’t shield themselves from legal accountability when resources, funding, organizational infrastructure or grants are used to support unlawful activity and political violence.
«We’ve made substantial progress, and I think in the weeks and months ahead, we’re going to have a lot to report,» Bessent responded to a question in the White House press gallery. He said, for example, that under new changes, the IRS will «demand that nonprofits know their grant recipients.»
FEDS SUBPOENA HASAN PIKER, MEDEA BENJAMIN OVER CUBA TRIPS
CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin speaks with the press at an airport in Havana, Cuba, March 20, 2026, after arriving with other activists as part of the «Nuestra America» convoy supporting the Communist Party of Cuba. (Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)
«So, if a grant recipient is violent, if they are suppressing people’s rights, then you are responsible for that,» Bessent said. «I think that’s a very good first step.»
The shift reflects a growing administration focus on whether nonprofit networks are exercising sufficient oversight over the projects, activists and international campaigns they sponsor. Against that backdrop, the inquiry by the Office of Foreign Assets Control into the Cuba convoy fits within an effort by Treasury officials to examine whether activist organizations are complying with laws and other federal restrictions, such as sanctions laws.
Speaking on camera in a video promoted by a far-left media platform, BreakThrough News, Benjamin said she and political streamer Hasan Piker first learned about the query when Fox News Digital broke the news last Saturday evening that Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control had launched an investigation into the financial and logistical details of CodePink’s and Piker’s trip to Cuba trip.
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Hasan Piker, a Democratic Socialists of America member, and CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans meet in Havana, Cuba, as part of a «United Front» supporting the communist regime. (CodePink via Storyful)
The Office of Foreign Assets Control enforces U.S. sanctions on Cuba, which restrict Americans from engaging in many financial transactions with the communist government and require travelers and organizations to comply with licensing and record-keeping requirements for authorized activities.
«I actually didn’t get anything, and neither did Hasan Piker,» Benjamin said. «I mean, we heard this on Fox News, that there was this subpoena out, and I was going outside my front door, looking around for somebody to serve me.»
Benjamin said the inquiry arrived by email and had been sent to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans. Fox News Digital has learned that CodePink D.C. Coordinator Olivia DiNucci, who regularly harasses politicians as they are having dinner in D.C. restaurants, is also expected to get a query.
«It turns out that it was an email that was sent to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans, and it was so unofficial that it landed in our spam box,» Benjamin said. «So it was a letter, and it came from the Treasury Department, from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as OFAC.»
FAR-LEFT ACTIVISTS STAY IN 5-STAR CUBAN HOTEL AS ISLAND SUFFERS TOTAL BLACKOUT
While criticizing the manner in which the inquiry was delivered, Benjamin acknowledged that the request itself was serious because of the volume of information federal officials are seeking.
«And I don’t want to say it’s not serious. It is serious, because they are asking for all kinds of information,» Benjamin said. «And this is a kind of intimidation tactic that means we have to get a lawyer, that we have to spend a lot of staff time, a lot of energy.»
According to Benjamin, the inquiry includes roughly a dozen detailed questions about the trip and its participants.
«They’re asking about 12 very detailed questions that include things like, ‘How did you get there? Where did you stay? What did you do every hour that you were there?’» Benjamin said. «I guess we have to tell them how many hours we slept.»
Benjamin said approximately 170 people participated in the convoy and suggested the scope of the inquiry could require organizers to account for the activities of every participant.
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Hasan Piker; Jodie Evans with Neville Roy Singham. (Getty Images)
«There were 170 people, so I don’t know if they want to know what every single person did every single minute of the day,» she said.
Benjamin also confirmed that organizers brought humanitarian supplies to Cuba.
«What we brought — and we brought about $600,000 worth of aid — so it’s a lot, a lot of information that they want,» Benjamin said.
Benjamin framed the inquiry as an effort to discourage Americans from traveling to Cuba or participating in humanitarian missions to the communist island, but said organizers would continue their activities despite the federal scrutiny.
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, in Washington, D.C. (LG for Fox News Digital)
«And of course, this is to make people think, ‘Uh oh, should I go to Cuba? Uh oh, should I keep doing humanitarian aid?’» Benjamin said. «And the answer to that is, yes. We can’t be intimidated. In fact, we have to use this as another reason that we’re so angry at the U.S. government and redouble our efforts.»
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Meanwhile, Piker has insisted that he hasn’t received the Treasury Department query.
He stirred up another set of headlines speculating that the «real goal» of the investigation is to target American Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who has pumped $285 million since 2017 into a network of groups including CodePink and BreakThrough News, allegedly spreading pro-China propaganda and sowing discord with massive anti-American street protests.
CodePink and BreakThrough News have been fixtures in those street protests, and Piker has supported them on his hours-long livestreams.
cuba, enforcement, investigations, fox news investigates, scott bessent, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Walz approval rating craters to lowest level ever and trails Trump amid massive fraud scandal: ‘Tired of it’
Expect to see ‘real accountability’ in alleged Minnesota fraud investigation, Rep James Comer
Rep. James Comer, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, reveals that Minnesota state leaders, including Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, ignored whistleblower warnings and allowed $300 million in federal nutrition fraud. Comer emphasizes that the decision was driven by political reasons to avoid accusations of racism, leading to unchecked fraud and retaliation against those who spoke up.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s approval rating in his state has plummeted to a level below President Donald Trump as the state’s top executive continues to face blowback from the massive fraud scandal that erupted under his watch.
Walz, who is leaving office in January after announcing he will not run for re-election, has an approval rating of 39% in the state and a disapproval rating of 53% with 8% not sure, according to a new poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy Inc. for KARE 11, the Minnesota Star Tribune, and the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The poll surveyed 800 Minnesota registered voters likely to participate in the November general election via live telephone interviews from June 8-10, 2026 and the numbers represent Walz’s lowest approval rating since taking office six years ago.
On the fraud issue, 45% of voters say they trust Republicans to fix it compared to 38% who chose Democrats and 14% who said neither party.
FINAL WALZ FRAUD REPORT RIPS ‘CULTURE OF TOLERANCE’ AS MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS FACE BILLIONS IN ALLEGED LOSSES
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2026. The hearing examined alleged misuse of federal funds for Minnesota social services and Medicaid programs. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The same polling unit registered Trump’s approval rating in the state at 41% this week, which conservatives on social media took notice of.
«Tim Walz has a lower approval rating than President Trump in deep blue Minnesota right now,» Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X. «That’s how toxic the fraud has become for Democrats.»
Over the past year, the Trump administration has taken a major interest in Minnesota and unleashed its fraud task force into the state, resulting in raids, arrests and further investigations into how the fraud was able to grow so quickly in the state.
Another contentious issue revealed by the poll is Minnesota’s new state flag, supported by Walz, that 50% of voters say they disapprove of.
The state’s new flag has become a cultural and political flashpoint in a state already reeling from one of the largest fraud scandals in U.S. history, heavily involving the Somali immigrant community. The flag was approved by a 13-member commission created by the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2023. Critics of the flag say it is overly simplistic and some have even knocked it as bearing a resemblance to Somalia’s national flag.
MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS UNLOAD ON WALZ’S ‘LEGACY’ AFTER HE TOUTS FRAUD RECORD IN FINAL ADDRESS: ‘RIDICULOUS’
«Two issues that unite a majority of Minnesotans are the rejection of Tim Walz and his failed policies and our hatred for the Minnesota Somali state flag,» Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. «The flag is an embarrassment and good on the cities who are actively removing it from their city halls and communities.»
«President Trump is more popular than Tim Walz in his home state because Minnesotans are sick and tired of Walz siding with illegal aliens and Somali fraudsters over his hardworking, taxpaying constituents.» he continued. «The legacy of Tim Walz will be the fires that destroyed Minneapolis, the fraud that he allowed to be stolen under his watch, and his failures that have harmed our great state.»
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a press conference about the state’s new paid family leave policy at the Coliseum Building in Minneapolis on Jan. 6, 2026. The event occurred a day after Walz announced his withdrawal from the 2026 gubernatorial race. (Photo by Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
Fraud appears to have played a significant role in Walz’s cratering approval, which is evidenced by a 10-point drop in his support since last year as the fraud scandal has dominated headlines.
Only 1% of Republicans in the state say they approve of the job Walz is doing, along with 73% of Democrats and 32% of Independents.
«America rejected Tim Walz in 2024,» Republican Minnesota State Sen. Michael Holmstrom told Fox News Digital. «Now Minnesotans are following suit. The good news for Tim is that, now that his record is on full display, he could soon be the most popular guy in the jailhouse.»
Republican State Sen. Mark Koran told Fox News Digital that the polls «really tell you what Gov. Walz has done to himself.»
«He let his fraud crisis blow up and didn’t do anything to fix it while he was busy shoving all this radical stuff into state government,» Koran said. «After years of extreme far-left ideology and policies that don’t help normal people, Minnesotans have had enough. His legacy is going to be the fraud crisis and desecrating the state flag. Minnesota is just tired of it.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report
somali immigrant community, minnesota, minnesota fraud exposed, polls, tim walz
Este jueves, los votantes de Makerfield, un distrito electoral del norte de Inglaterra, acuden a las urnas para unas elecciones extraordinarias cuyo resultado podría cambiar el panorama político británico.
En ciertos aspectos, la contienda es típica, con muchos candidatos centrados en cuestiones hiperlocales, como la recolección de basura, los baches en las rutas y la financiación de los colegios.
Pero, en otros aspectos, es única. Andy Burnham, el candidato del Partido Laborista, se presenta para convertirse en diputado con el fin de poder disputar al primer ministro Keir Starmer el liderazgo del partido. Si eso ocurre, Burnham podría convertirse en el próximo primer ministro del Reino Unido.
Esto es lo que hay que saber.
¿Por qué se celebran estas elecciones en Reino Unido?
Las elecciones extraordinarias, conocidas en el Reino Unido como “by-election” (elección parcial), se convocaron después de que un diputado laborista, Josh Simons, renunciara para dejar paso a Burnham, alcalde del Gran Mánchester.
Si Burnham gana, podrá disputarle el liderazgo a Starmer, cuya popularidad se ha desplomado hasta alcanzar uno de los niveles más bajos de cualquier primer ministro en la historia moderna del Reino Unido. En las encuestas, los ciudadanos expresan su descontento con la economía, los servicios públicos, los impuestos y la inmigración, pero también manifiestan un rechazo visceral hacia el propio primer ministro.
Starmer ha logrado avances a la hora de abordar algunos problemas, pero no los suficientes para hacer cambiar la opinión pública. Burnham, un comunicador más carismático y el político más popular del Partido Laborista, es considerado dentro del partido como su mejor esperanza para recuperar votantes.
En Makerfield, el Partido Laborista se enfrenta a una competencia especial por parte de Reform UK (Reformar Reino Unido), el partido populista de derecha. Las encuestas fiables son escasas, pero los conocedores de la situación creen que el resultado podría estar reñido.
El primer ministro británico Keir Starmer. (Foto: Isabel Infantes/REUTERS)
¿Quién es Andy Burnham y qué defiende?
Burnham, de 56 años, nació en las afueras de Liverpool y creció en Culcheth, no muy lejos de Makerfield. Sus raíces del norte han marcado su trayectoria política, y lleva mucho tiempo quejándose de que Westminster y los medios de comunicación están demasiado centrados en Londres.
El periodo más largo de su carrera lo pasó como miembro del Parlamento por Leigh, en el Gran Mánchester, desde 2001 hasta 2017. Como legislador, Burnham ascendió con velocidad, llegó a ser secretario de Cultura y, más tarde, secretario de Salud bajo el mandato del primer ministro Gordon Brown.
Intentó en dos ocasiones convertirse en líder del Partido Laborista, en 2010 y en 2015, cuando partía como claro favorito, pero perdió frente a Jeremy Corbyn, de tendencia más a la izquierda. Desencantado con Westminster, Burnham abandonó el Parlamento y ganó las elecciones a la alcaldía del Gran Mánchester. En 2021, volvió a ganar con un porcentaje de votos aún mayor.
Leé también: Reino Unido: renunció un miembro del gabinete de Keir Starmer y se agravó la crisis en el gobierno laborista
Los casi diez años de Burnham como alcalde coincidieron con un periodo de crecimiento económico en Mánchester. Se ganó el reconocimiento de los vecinos durante la pandemia del covid, cuando pronunció un discurso en el que criticó con dureza al gobierno conservador por los efectos de los confinamientos en su región. Volvió a nacionalizar los autobuses de la ciudad, e hizo que algunos trayectos fueran gratuitos.
A lo largo de este tiempo, transformó su identidad política en la de un outsider frente al gobierno de Londres. Y se ganó la reputación de ser una persona que habla sin rodeos y que entiende las necesidades de la clase trabajadora. Sus detractores han señalado que tiene poca experiencia en política exterior, lo que, según ellos, podría suponer un punto débil para un futuro primer ministro en un mundo que se enfrenta a guerras prolongadas y tensiones geopolíticas.
¿Qué dirán los resultados sobre la derecha británica?
En mayo, el partido Reform UK, liderado por Nigel Farage, ganó 24 de los 25 escaños del consejo municipal en disputa en la zona de Makerfield, que había estado dominada por el Partido Laborista durante décadas. Las elecciones del jueves brindan a Farage otra oportunidad de demostrar que los votantes apoyan su programa antiinmigración, antieuropeísta y con una agenda contraria al objetivo de cero emisiones netas.
Si gana el candidato de Reform, Rob Kenyon, podría decirse que representaría una de las mayores victorias de Farage desde su campaña para el referéndum del Brexit de 2016, que sacó al Reino Unido de la Unión Europea.
Pero un partido de extrema derecha emergente llamado Restore Britain (Restaurar Reino Unido) también se presenta en Makerfield, y ha recibido el apoyo en internet de Elon Musk. Si eso divide el voto de la derecha entre Restore y Reform, podría beneficiar a Burnham. (Según el sistema electoral británico de mayoría simple, los ganadores solo necesitan un voto más que cualquier otro candidato).
Una derrota supondría un duro golpe para Reform, lo que pondría en duda su capacidad para presentar candidatos de calidad y para dar respuesta a las preguntas sobre su dependencia de unos pocos donantes acaudalados. El mes pasado se reveló que Farage había aceptado un regalo por valor de 5 millones de libras (unos 6,7 millones de dólares) de un multimillonario británico del sector de las criptomonedas radicado en Tailandia.
¿Podría Keir Starmer realmente verse relevado de su cargo?
Sí, aunque no está claro qué tan rápido. Burnham ha dicho que, si gana, se presentaría a cualquier contienda por el liderazgo contra Starmer.
También podrían presentarse otros candidatos, entre ellos Wes Streeting, que dimitió el mes pasado como secretario de Salud de Starmer.
El primer ministro ha dicho varias veces en las últimas semanas que se enfrentaría a cualquier desafío.
Muchos diputados laboristas esperan que, si gana Burnham, Starmer acepte un calendario en el que permanezca en el cargo durante unas semanas o meses para garantizar la estabilidad, al tiempo que se celebra la contienda por el liderazgo. Un nuevo líder laborista –y primer ministro– podría tomar posesión en el congreso anual del partido en septiembre.
Por Michael D. Shear
The New York Times, Inglaterra, Keir Starmer
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