Sen. Cruz Introduces Bill Targeting NGOs and Adversaries Funding Violent Riots

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and colleagues introduced the Stop Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots (Stop FUNDERs) Act. This bill adds rioting, as defined by the federal anti-riot statute, to the list of RICO predicate offenses, allowing the Department of Justice to use the full suite of RICO tools against entities who fund or coordinate violent interstate riots.

Sen. Cruz said, “Every American has the right to freedom of speech and peaceful protest, but not to commit violence. Domestic NGOs and foreign adversaries fund and use riots in the United States to undermine the security and prosperity of Americans. My legislation will give the Department of Justice the tools it needs to hold them accountable, and I urge colleagues to pass it expeditiously.”

The bill is cosponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Josh Hawley (R- Mo.).

Sen. Cornyn said, “Radical, left-wing groups who fund acts of violence, coordinate attacks against law enforcement, and spearhead the destruction of property must be stopped. This legislation would add rioting to the list of racketeering offenses to crack down on this lawless behavior while ensuring the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful protest are protected.”

Sen. Tuberville said, “77 million Americans voted for President Trump and his America First policy agenda – and that includes arresting and deporting illegal aliens. Democrats don’t like that – so they are rioting in the streets and violently attacking law enforcement officers. This cannot stand. My colleagues and I are introducing a bill to make sure the Department of Justice has the tools it needs to go after anti-American terrorist groups and their funders who are protecting illegal rapists, murderers, and criminals. We have to cut these violent riots off at the source. The adults are back in charge, and law and order will prevail.”

Sen. Hagerty said, “From anti-Semitic riots to violent anti-ICE attacks, those who fund and coordinate violent riots across our country must be held accountable. The Stop FUNDERs Act will give the Department of Justice the tools it needs to bring those facilitating and financing violence on our campuses and in our streets to account.”

Sen. Tillis said, “Organized riots like those in Los Angeles pose a serious threat to public safety, endanger law enforcement, and undermine the rule of law. The Stop FUNDERs Act gives the Department of Justice the tools to go after the individuals and organizations that fund and orchestrate violent riots across our country. I’m proud to support this legislation to hold these bad actors accountable and restore law and order in our communities.”

Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas-24).

Rep. Van Duyne said, “The standard of treating violent, extremist activists as individual criminals must end. It is time we empower our law enforcement with a commonsense tool to treat these violent mobs, their funding sources, and their organizers as the criminal enterprises they are by passing the Stop FUNDERS Act. Since the days of the George Floyd riots, to the violence we see across American cities and college campuses today, it is obvious there are well funded, well outfitted, and highly coordinated efforts to plan and execute violent and potentially deadly missions of chaos and mayhem. This is organized crime, and we need to attack it as such.”

This bill is supported by Heritage Action and National Right to Work Committee.

Steve Chartan, Heritage Action Vice President of Government Relations said, “Heritage Action applauds the introduction of Senator Ted Cruz’s Stop Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots (Stop FUNDERs) Act to amend RICO and target those who are inciting violent riots nationwide. This bill will ensure the Department of Justice holds these criminals responsible for wreaking havoc. We urge lawmakers to quickly pass this legislation to protect American communities.”

Read the full text of the bill here.

BACKGROUND

The Stop FUNDERs Act will:

• Amend 18 U.S.C. § 1961(1) to add “rioting,” as defined in the Anti-Riot Act, to the list of racketeering predicate offenses.
• Enable the Department of Justice to use RICO tools—including joint liability and group prosecution, conspiracy charges, asset forfeiture, and enhanced criminal penalties—against organizations and individuals who repeatedly fund or coordinate violent interstate riots.
• Deter abuse of nonprofit status and expose hidden financial pipelines behind politically motivated violence.