The House Ways and Means Committee in the United States has issued subpoenas to three leftist organizations with documented ties to the Cuban regime: The People's Forum, BreakThrough News, and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, according to a report from Fox News cited by Martí Noticias.
Chaired by Republican Jason Smith from Missouri, the committee is examining whether these nonprofit organizations serve as foreign influence tools associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The investigation is also looking into whether over $39 million allegedly received from tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham was funneled to obscure its true source, the report indicates.
According to fiscal records and transaction analyses cited by Fox News, Singham reportedly allocated around $22.4 million to The People's Forum, $16.8 million to Tricontinental, and about $1.1 million to Breakthrough BT Media Inc., the parent company of BreakThrough News, Martí Noticias reported.
The committee claims these funds were routed through shell companies and donor-advised funds to mask the true origin of the contributions.
Singham, a 72-year-old American born in Connecticut, sold his software company ThoughtWorks for approximately $785 million in 2017 and currently resides in Shanghai. He is married to Jodie Evans, co-founder of the organization CodePink. Previous investigations by the New York Times and other media outlets have already exposed his connections to entities linked to the Chinese Communist Party and his cooperation with propaganda agencies of that country, the report expands.
All required documentation—including records of foreign financing, international contracts, communications with Singham, donors contributing over $5,000, and international grants—must be submitted by August 7. Smith accused the organizations of misrepresenting the scope and purpose of the committee's oversight, stating emphatically, "The American people deserve to know if the CCP has exploited America's tax-exempt sector to advance its agenda," the report notes.
The three organizations rejected the subpoenas, arguing they violate the First Amendment, lack a valid legislative purpose, and improperly invoke the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The People's Forum, based in Manhattan and led by Manolo De Los Santos, described the measure as a "frontal political attack on freedom of speech" and a "witch hunt reviving the ghost of Joe McCarthy."
De Los Santos has traveled to Cuba multiple times and met with Miguel Díaz-Canel. From the Forum, he organized and sponsored the Let Cuba Live Youth Brigade and Venceremos Brigade, as well as the propaganda campaign "Let Cuba Live / End the Blockade," in close collaboration with the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), an official organ of the Cuban regime sanctioned in June by the United States.
BreakThrough News, the outlet that produced "Cuba After Castro," an interview with Díaz-Canel, condemned the subpoenas as "a blatant abuse of power and a direct assault" on the First Amendment, affirming it does not receive funds from foreign governments or institutions. Meanwhile, Tricontinental, whose executive director Vijay Prashad is a frequent defender of the Cuban Revolution, also rejected the demands. The group presents itself as a continuation of the legacy of the January 1966 Tricontinental Conference in Havana, organized by Fidel Castro, and produces materials promoting so-called Cuban "internationalism."
The subpoenas are part of a broader offensive by Congress and the Trump administration against organizations allegedly linked to foreign governments. The Department of Justice and the Treasury are investigating over 145 pro-Cuba organizations with combined revenues of around $1 billion annually for potential violations of the FARA. Since January 2026, the United States has imposed more than 240 sanctions related to Cuba, and the State Department announced in July the release of a report on the alleged links between the Cuban regime and the radical left operating within U.S. borders.
Key Questions About U.S. Congressional Subpoenas
What is the purpose of the congressional subpoenas?
The subpoenas aim to investigate whether nonprofit organizations tied to the Cuban regime are acting as foreign influence tools for the Chinese Communist Party and whether funds received from Neville Roy Singham were used to conceal their true origin.
Why did the organizations reject the subpoenas?
The organizations argue that the subpoenas violate the First Amendment, lack a legitimate legislative purpose, and improperly invoke the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Who is Neville Roy Singham?
Neville Roy Singham is an American tech entrepreneur who sold his software company ThoughtWorks and is currently residing in Shanghai. He is linked to organizations under investigation for potential foreign influence activities.