OAKLAND, Calif. – California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of ten attorneys general Friday in issuing a joint statement condemning President Trump’s baseless and unprecedented attacks on nonprofits’ freedom of speech.
In a Sept. 25, 2025 memorandum, President Trump directed the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and potentially prosecute organizations and entities, including nonprofits and charities, that support or fund causes the Trump administration disagrees with, under the guise of fighting “political violence.”
The memo threatens to investigate “institutional and individual funders, and officers and employees of organizations, that are responsible for, sponsor, or otherwise aid and abet” causes, policies or ideas that Trump opposes. Trump claims, without justification, that the organizations he targets are engaged in activities “designed to suppress lawful political activity or obstruct the rule of law,” though the clear intent of the directive is to stifle nonprofits’ freedom of speech and association protected by the First Amendment.
In their statement, Bonta and the coalition said Americans’ rights to free speech and association are among the freedoms they cherish most, guaranteed for more than two centuries. They emphasized that one of the key ways Americans express those freedoms is by supporting, belonging to and volunteering for nonprofits and charitable organizations.
“Charities and nonprofits are woven into the fabric of American society, in every state and community,” the coalition said. “Any attempts to target nonprofits for simply fulfilling their missions, no matter their beliefs or worldview, is a gross violation of their and all Americans’ First Amendment rights to free speech and free association — which the U.S. Supreme Court recently held ‘is especially important in preserving political and cultural diversity and in shielding dissident expression from suppression by the majority.’”
The statement added, “In a country founded on the right to hold different opinions than the king, the president’s shameless attempt to punish nonprofits and charities who may not co-sign his extremist agenda is deeply un-American.”
The coalition further noted that the Trump administration’s coercive efforts violate donors’ intent regarding how contributions should be used. “As attorneys general, we are the chief regulators of nonprofits, charities, and charitable trusts in our states, and serve as representatives of the public and donor intent,” they said. “We strongly condemn the Trump Administration’s naked effort to intimidate charities from fulfilling their missions and donors’ intent. Our message to the nonprofits and charities we oversee is: You keep fulfilling your missions, and we will keep fighting against attempts to weaponize the government to suppress your legitimate activities and constitutional freedoms.”
State attorneys general across the country serve as the chief regulators of nonprofit corporations, charitable trusts and charitable solicitations, ensuring that such organizations comply with their states’ laws and civil charities regulations.
Joining Attorney General Bonta in issuing the statement were the attorneys general of Minnesota, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and Washington.
Bonta and the coalition also called Trump’s latest actions “a gross violation” of First Amendment rights and “a deeply un-American attack” on civic participation and donor intent. They underscored that targeting organizations for their beliefs is an assault on the very freedoms that define American democracy.
Bonta’s office noted that this statement continues California’s broader effort to defend against what it calls the Trump administration’s campaign of political retribution and suppression of dissent.
Last month, Bonta sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi expressing concern over what he described as the Department of Justice’s improper use of prosecutorial power for political retribution, citing the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey as an example of politically motivated prosecution.
He also called on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to halt what he described as a campaign of censorship after Carr’s intimidation of television broadcasters led to the removal of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show from the air.
Earlier this year, Bonta, along with 20 other attorneys general, issued an open letter urging the legal community to stand together in defense of the rule of law following Trump’s calls for the impeachment of federal judges and threats of retribution against law firms.
Bonta has joined prominent firms including WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, Susman Godfrey and Perkins Coie in amicus briefs supporting lawsuits challenging Trump’s retaliatory executive orders targeting law firms that represent clients or positions his administration opposes.
He also issued a statement stressing the need to speak up and push back “when our democratic norms are violated, our legal system is undermined, and our laws are broken.”
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Please direct me to the Vanguard articles complaining about how the Obama administration targeted conservative non-profits:
“The controversy began in 2013 when Lois Lerner, the director of the IRS Exempt Organizations division, admitted that the agency had targeted groups applying for tax-exempt 501(c)(4) status. Starting in 2010, the Cincinnati office used “Be On the Look Out” (BOLO) lists with keywords such as “Tea Party” and “Patriots” to flag applications for further review, leading to processing delays and burdensome information requests.”
Or recently when it’s being uncovered that the Biden administration used the FBI to investigate conservative organizations:
“Based on recent news and whistleblower records, an FBI investigation under the Biden administration, codenamed “Arctic Frost,” targeted dozens of conservative-aligned individuals and groups. The probe, originally focused on Donald Trump’s 2020 election conduct, expanded to include nearly 100 people and organizations.
Key details of the investigation
Expansion of scope: Originally conceived as a narrow inquiry into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the investigation expanded under former FBI special counsel Jack Smith to scrutinize numerous Republican organizations and figures.
Targets: The investigation reportedly targeted 92 Republican and conservative-aligned groups or individuals, including:
Organizations: Conservative Partnership Institute, America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, the Republican National Committee, and the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Individuals: Late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and several Republican members of Congress.”