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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced on Wednesday she had launched an investigation into Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) fundraising and charitable‑solicitation activities within the state.
Hanaway’s office issued civil investigative demands (CIDs) to Mizzou SJP and National SJP after identifying grounds to inquire whether its affiliated chapters, agents, or representatives have engaged in conduct prohibited by the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
A statement from Hanaway’s office noted it had “reason to believe the subjects may have engaged in deception, fraud, false promises, misrepresentation, unfair practices, and the concealment, suppression, or omission of material facts in connection with charitable solicitations.”
Hanaway said, “Our office will not tolerate any organization duping Missourians or Missouri students into unknowingly financing radical Islamic terrorism. We will use every tool the law allows to expose deceptive fundraising, trace where the money goes, and stop any effort to channel charitable donations to violent or terror-linked actors. Missouri will not be exploited as a cash conduit for terrorists in the Middle East.”
According to Hanaway’s office, SJP has chapters at the University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Washington University in St. Louis, and Missouri State University.
Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) President of U.S. Affairs Alyza D. Lewin praised the opening of the investigation, saying, “Missouri is right to demand answers. Transparency is key. At a time when our youth are becoming increasingly radicalized, it is essential to ensure that student organizations are not raising funds in support of terror. We commend Attorney General Hanaway for her proactive leadership on this critical issue. The safety of all Missourians and the integrity of charitable giving are at stake.”
Earlier this year, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed HB 2061, landmark legislation aimed at combating antisemitic discrimination in Missouri’s public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.
The law mandated the integration of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, including its 11 illustrative examples, into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct.
It also facilitated stricter enforcement of Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act by directing the Missouri State Board of Education and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to each designate a Title VI coordinator to monitor, report, and investigate cases of antisemitism.
Missouri was the 18th U.S. state to codify the IHRA definition into law.
Read more:
Landmark Antisemitism Bill Signed Into Law by Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe
