❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United Kingdom-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) received a $250,000 grant from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations for “general support.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Center for Countering Digital Hate, George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, Elon Musk, Rep. Jim Jordan, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The grant was awarded in 2023. The CCDH is based in the United Kingdom, with activities in the U.S. and meetings with congressional offices.
🎯IMPACT: The CCDH has faced criticism for targeting conservative outlets and remains under scrutiny in a House investigation into censorship coordination.
The United Kingdom-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) received a $250,000 grant from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) in 2023, according to newly reviewed financial records. The funding, listed as “general support,” comes as the group mounts campaigns urging advertisers and major tech companies to cut ties with outlets it accuses of spreading “hate” or “disinformation,” including conservative publications. In one such initiative, the group pressed Google to remove advertising from several right-leaning sites, complaining that their comment sections contained racist material.
The financial disclosure surfaced amid CCDH’s ongoing legal battle with former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) frontman Elon Musk. Musk sued the organization after it issued a report alleging a rise in hate speech on X following his 2022 acquisition of the platform, formerly known as Twitter. Internal documents indicated that CCDH had drafted a strategy to “kill Musk’s Twitter” by persuading advertisers to withdraw from the platform. The group also held meetings with more than a dozen congressional offices and participated in discussions with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) regarding regulations for online speech.
Founded in 2018 by former British Labour Party staffer Imran Ahmed, CCDH reports $2.1 million in revenue but does not disclose its full list of donors. Media reports in the United Kingdom have indicated that the Trump administration has considered revoking Ahmed’s U.S. visa in connection with CCDH’s activities. Ahmed co-founded the organization with Morgan McSweeney, who is now the chief of staff to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The OSF grant to CCDH comes as Soros-linked funding faces renewed scrutiny. Investigative reports have highlighted large-scale OSF contributions to far-left extremist organizations, including claims that the foundation has funneled tens of millions of dollars to groups tied to violent or radical activity.
Additional reporting on figures connected to Soros’s financial network has intensified attention on his “philanthropic” operations, including legal issues surrounding investment manager Howard Rubin, who has faced criminal charges.
Image by IMF Staff Photographer/Michael Spilotro.
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