US State Department Allocates $175 Million in Human Rights Funding to Right-Wing Causes

The Trump administration has obligated more than $175 million from the State Department's Human Rights and Democracy Fund to back a series of conservative and right-wing programs globally, proceeding despite objections and holds placed by members of Congress.

The funding moves direct a substantial portion of the $205 million appropriated by Congress for the human rights fund toward 43 specific awards. These grants encompass initiatives supporting white Afrikaners in South Africa, challenging judicial decisions in Brazil, and promoting traditional civilizational values across Europe.

Congressional Objections and High-Level Push

According to sources familiar with the process, the awards received direct attention and lobbying from White House officials and high-level leaders within the State Department. However, lawmakers raised concerns over the redefinition of human rights programming. Jeanne Shaheen, the lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, placed a partial hold on controversial grants prior to the September 30 fiscal deadline, arguing the funds misuse taxpayer money to bolster far-right groups in established democracies instead of protecting victims of abuse.

Despite the congressional holds, the State Department obligated the funds hours before the annual spending authority expired. The department declined to comment on whether it bypassed congressional holds, but stated that all programs undergo standard vetting and aim to support allies' civilizational self-confidence and political liberty.

Major Grants and European Focus

The single largest allocation is a $40 million award designated for a consortium led by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, an organization that previously held significantly smaller federal contracts. Other allocations include a $1 million initiative aimed at opposing alleged judicial overreach by Brazil's supreme court, as well as European grants designed to counter migration, oppose gender ideology, and reinforce traditional cultural values.