GOP Bill Would Expand RICO Laws to Include Those Who Fund Riots

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and several Republican colleagues have introduced the Stop Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots (Stop FUNDERs) Act, aimed at holding accountable those who finance rioters and vandals.

The one page bill would amend 18 U.S.C. § 1961(1) to add “rioting,” as defined in the Anti-Riot Act, to the list of racketeering predicate offenses. Doing so would enable the Department of Justice “to use the full suite of RICO tools against entities who fund or coordinate violent interstate riots,” Cruz said.

The Texas Republican is referring to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which allows for extended criminal penalties for those involved in racketeering. Racketeering involves “any act or threat involving murder, kidnapping, gambling, arson, robbery, bribery, extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled substance or listed chemical,” as well as numerous fraud-related crimes, including gambling, mail fraud, wire fraud, immigration fraud, among others, Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute explains.

“Every American has the right to freedom of speech and peaceful protest, but not to commit violence. Domestic NGOs and foreign adversaries fund and use riots in the United States to undermine the security and prosperity of Americans,” Cruz said. Several Republicans have long suspected that left-wing groups aligned with Democrats actively finance and promote violent demonstrations.

Cruz’s bill aims to provide the Department of Justice (DOJ) with additional RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) tools to target organizations and individuals who fund or coordinate violent interstate riots repeatedly. The proposed measures include joint liability, group prosecution, conspiracy charges, asset forfeiture, and increased criminal penalties, according to Cruz. The goal is also to “deter abuse of nonprofit status and expose hidden financial pipelines behind politically motivated violence,” he said.

Only Republicans in the Senate so far have signed on as cosponsors: Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah and Josh Hawley of Missouri, the Center Square reported.

“Radical, left-wing groups who fund acts of violence, coordinate attacks against law enforcement, and spearhead the destruction of property must be stopped,” Cornyn said. “This legislation would add rioting to the list of racketeering offenses to crack down on this lawless behavior while ensuring the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful protest are protected.”

In the House, Rep. Beth Van Duyn, R-Texas has filed similar legislation, according to the Center Square.