The Florida Attorney General has launched an investigation into possible financial contributions from Cuba and China to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), an American leftist political organization that has sent delegations to both countries.
Authorities are seeking to determine whether the group received contributions from foreign sources that are subject to restrictions and if it acted transparently when soliciting donations from Florida residents to fund its activities.
The Attorney General of Florida, James Uthmeier, announced this Tuesday that his office has issued an investigative subpoena against the organization, under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the state regulations governing fundraising.
"Floridians who donate to organizations operating in our state have the right to know where that money comes from and how it is used," Uthmeier stated in a video where he explained the scope of the investigation.
The prosecutor stated that his office is investigating whether DSA accepted contributions or support from foreign sources considered a concern by U.S. authorities, including the governments of Cuba and China.
It also seeks to clarify whether the fundraising campaigns aimed at donors in Florida met the legal requirements for transparency.
A central part of the research focuses on the trips made by members of the organization to both countries.
According to Uthmeier, the authorities are reviewing recent delegations to Cuba in which national leaders and members of the National Political Committee of DSA held meetings with officials of the Cuban Government, as well as a delegation that traveled to China.
The investigation also includes requests for donations amounting to tens of thousands of dollars intended to cover travel expenses and other activities related to those visits, some of which are linked to chapters of the organization in Florida.
«Our laws prohibit accepting contributions from foreign sources of concern. They require organizations to be honest and transparent about how money is raised and used», stated Uthmeier.
The prosecutor explained that the summons aims to obtain the necessary documents to determine whether the organization complied with legal provisions. He also stated that his office will hold accountable those responsible if any violations are found.
"We will follow the facts, enforce the law, and we will not allow foreign adversaries to influence Florida through the back door of nonprofit fundraising," he stated.
The research is in a phase of information gathering. It is important to note that Uthmeier's announcement does not equate to a criminal accusation against the organization.
The section 496.415 of the Florida Statutes prohibits, in fundraising activities subject to that legislation, soliciting or accepting contributions or other items of value from foreign sources of concern.
The regulations provide procedures to rectify certain initial violations and potential penalties in other cases. Cuba and China are among the countries included in the legal definition of foreign countries of concern.
Contacts between DSA and Cuban authorities are documented. In October 2025, the organization sent a delegation of 40 leaders and members to the Island.
In its own report, DSA acknowledged that the participants visited Cuban institutions and met with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernández de Cossío.
The organization also maintains a fundraising mechanism called Venceremos Fund, which, as explained on its official page, is used to finance international delegations, visits from foreign organizers to the United States, and humanitarian aid projects.
The trips of socialist leaders and activists to Cuba had already sparked controversy in the United States.
In October of last year, details emerged about a DSA delegation that met with Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana in 2023, which included Danny Valdez, a political collaborator of the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani.
According to research by the New York Post, based on a travel diary written by Valdez, the participants stayed in luxury hotels and dined at exclusive restaurants during their time in Cuba.
The activist himself acknowledged in his writings the contrast between the comforts enjoyed by the delegation and the economic hardships faced by the Cubans.
The revelation prompted calls for an investigation. The Miami-Dade Tax Collector, Dariel Fernández, requested that federal authorities examine Valdez's contacts with representatives of the Cuban government and determine whether any of his activities had violated U.S. laws.
The scrutiny of U.S. organizations maintaining relations with Havana had intensified months earlier.
In May, a journalistic investigation by Fox News revealed that the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury were examining the activities of 145 nonprofit organizations supportive of the Cuban government, whose combined revenue was estimated to be approximately $1 billion annually.
According to that report, federal authorities were looking to determine whether some of those entities had coordinated political activities with Cuban officials without complying with the requirements set forth by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Among the mentioned groups were CODEPINK, The People's Forum, BreakThrough News, ANSWER Coalition, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Tricontinental.
In July, the U.S. Department of State also published a report on nearly seven decades of espionage, political influence, and subversion attributed to the Cuban regime.
The document, presented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stated that Havana has used organizations and international political movements to promote its interests and influence the United States.
The report examined historical cases of espionage, such as those of Ana Belén Montes and Víctor Manuel Rocha, and described alleged connections between Cuban intelligence services, radical movements, and political influence networks.
It also addressed Cuba's cooperation with China and Russia, including the alleged presence of signals intelligence facilities linked to both powers on the Island.
During the presentation of the document, State Department officials explicitly mentioned DSA among the organizations that, according to Washington's interpretation, have political ties to the Cuban regime.
Officials described their leaders' trips to Havana and their meetings with government representatives as part of a relationship that deserved attention.
DSA rejected those accusations. In a statement published on August 10, the organization argued that its activities are driven by democratic decisions made by its own members and not by instructions from the Cuban Government.
He also defended his right to maintain international contacts and his campaigns against the economic sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba.
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