(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors responded to criticism of her purchase of a $5.8 million California mansion, calling it “racist and sexist,” the New York Post reported.
The 6,500-square-foot home is suspected to have been purchased with BLM donation funds.
The man who facilitated the purchase Dyane Pascall, has close ties to Cullors. He purchased the property in cash on Oct. 21, 2020. Records show that Pascall later transferred the deed to a Delaware-based LLC which is owned by Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, according to the Washington Examiner.
Pascal said he never touched any money during the purchase of the property, and when pressed about the origins of the money he said, “I don’t owe you an explanation.”
“Who are you and why do I need to talk to you about anything?” Pascall asked. “This is an investment that an organization has the right to do if you know anything about nonprofit law.”
Cullors has also been defensive regarding her new home, responding to a skeptical article in New York Magazine in an Instagram post:
“The fact that a reputable publication would allow a reporter, with a proven and very public bias against me and other Black leaders, to write a piece filled with misinformation, innuendo and incendiary opinions, is disheartening and unacceptable,” Cullors wrote.
She goes on to say that she “never misappropriate funds,” which the magazine article never accused her of.
“It pains me that so many people have accepted that narrative without the presence of tangible truth or facts,” she wrote.
According to New York Magazine, BLM referred to the property as a “campus” in internal emails and messages. The mansion has parking space for 24 cars, a 2,300 square foot sound stage, Italian fireplaces, custom staircases and seven bedrooms.
“This home is not just a home — it’s, like, four structures,” Pascall told the Washington Examiner. “It’s a film studio, sound stage, commercial space, office space. It’s a campus. It’s got 20 parking spaces so people can come and work. It’s not a home per se. It’s an actual campus space for people to work from.”
The California Office of the Attorney General, which approved BLM’s $66.5 million in cash donations in October 2020, did not comment on the charity’s purchase of this mansion.
“To protect its integrity, we are unable to comment on, even to confirm or deny, a potential or ongoing investigation,” the office told the Washington Examiner.
