Florida AG subpoenas DSA over potential illegal funding from Cuba and China

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that his office issued an investigative subpoena to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) to investigate whether the organization accepted contributions from "foreign sources of concern," including entities in Cuba and China.

"Our laws prohibit accepting contributions from foreign sources of concern," Uthmeier said in a video statement. "We will not allow foreign adversaries to influence Florida through the backdoor of non-private fundraising."

The subpoena demands documents related to recent DSA delegations to China and Cuba, where organization members met with Cuban government officials, to determine if the DSA violated Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, according to Uthmeier.

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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to the Democratic Socialists of America to determine whether the organization accepted donations from "foreign sources of concern," including entities in Cuba and China. (Getty Images)

Uthmeier did not detail specific criminal allegations or name individuals accused of violating state law.

The DSA has repeatedly praised the Cuban regime and routinely advocates for lifting American sanctions and ending the U.S. embargo against Havana.

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The organization has sent multiple delegations to Cuba in recent years. During a 2023 trip, DSA members met privately with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and sought to establish formal communication channels with government ministries, according to a State Department report released in July.

The legal action comes shortly after several DSA-backed candidates won races across federal, state, and local levels in last week's elections.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to the Democratic Socialists of America to determine whether the organization accepted donations from "foreign sources of concern," including entities in Cuba and China. (Amy Beth Bennett/Getty Images; Yamil Lage/Getty Images)