Shaun King Fundraising Scandal

Overview

Shaun King Fundraising Scandal refers to accusations of improper behavior and a lack of transparency regarding the fundraising tactics of and claims made by journalist and activist Shaun King. King has since denied any wrongdoing.

Background

On August 21st, 2019, following news that Rihanna would be honoring Shaun King at the Diamond Ball,^[1] some criticized the celebration. For example, Twitter^[2] user @AngryBlackLady tweeted, "This legit made my heart sink. @rihanna, please have someone look into #ShaunKing’s history of stealing from, threatening, and intimidating Black women, as well as misappropriating funds raised from vulnerable people. There are so many people far more deserving of this honor." Within one month, the tweet received more than 5,000 likes and 1,000 retweets (shown below).

Developments

Online Reaction

The announcement led others to share their negative criticisms of King. Twitter^[3] user @EleniBrandis tweeted, "So I’m struggling to believe nobody at all, like nobody that works for her told Rihanna why “honoring” Shaun King might be a HORRIBLE idea. Like nobody did a quick Twitter/Google search to help my sis out ? NOBODY ?!" Within one month, the tweet received more than 2,000 likes and 470 retweets (shown below, left).

Twitter^[4] user @ahughes_esq wrote, "She’s honoring Shaun King at this years Diamond Ball. He’s an activist that’s had a speckled past. It appears that he’s had issues being transparent about his past fundraising efforts. Also been involved in a few conflicts with black women" (shown below, center).

Twitter^[5] user @arielle_newton tweeted, "Sharing videos of murdered Black people isn’t work Obsessively raising money no one can account for isn’t work Bullying Black girls online isn’t work Stealing the principled work of grassroots organizers isn’t work Shaun King is a parasite & it sucks that he is celebrated." Within one month, the tweet received more than 19,000 likes and 5,600 retweets (shown below, right).

Shaun King's Reaction

On September 3rd, 2019, King tweeted a Medium^[6] post that explained his finances and fundraising contributions. He tweeted,^[7] "Since the #BlackLivesMatter Movement began, I've helped raise over $34.5 million for families, charities, causes, & campaigns. A 7 person expert review board inspected every penny – including the past 5 years of my tax returns. Their 72 page report…" Within one month, the tweet received more than 9,600 likes and 3,200 retweets (shown below, left).

He continued,^[8] "I provided: -The past 5 years of my full tax returns. -The past 10 years of every checking & savings account, every credit card, investment account, and money management software. -Full access to my email & social media. -Access to every fundraiser." Within one month, the tweet received more than 2,000 likes and 400 retweets (shown below, right).

Some commended King for his transparency. Writer Michael Eric Dyson tweeted, "So glad that this report is available to for the world to see that @shaunking has been above board. This is a thorough and exhaustive investigation into his finances and clears him of any wrongdoing or malfeasance. I hope we can now put this to bed! Thanks, sir, for your work!" Within one month, the tweet received more than 1,000 likes and 200 retweets (shown below).

DeRay Mckesson's Medium Post

On September 12th, 2019, activist DeRay Mckesson tweeted a link to a Medium^[9] article about King's fundraising efforts. He tweeted,^[10] "I wrote about Shaun King in an effort to bring clarity to a set of issues that continue to be a topic of conversation re: fundraising, organizing, & activism. I rarely engage in these discussions publicly, but felt compelled given the observed pattern." Within 24 hours, the tweet received more than 20,000 likes and 7,500 retweets (shown below).

In the piece, Mckesson accused King of acting unethically and called on him to step away from activism and fundraising. He wrote, "He does not often answer any of the questions or offer any resolution of contradictions raised, but instead, deflects. What’s more, he often bullies and intimidates those who ask questions at all, turning his ire especially at Black women, attempting to scare inquirers into silence."

King, however, accused the DeRay of unfair criticism. He tweeted,^[11] "On a few occasions over the past 3 years, I’ve offered a public & private olive branch with @Deray. Civil rights elders and mediators asked me to do so, and I did. He refused each time. Even today, he has erased the 50+ families who openly said I did nothing but support them" (shown below, left).

Mckesson responded,^[12] "So, this is how it always happens. Instead of actually engaging w/ the content of a given critique, Shaun deflects. I wrote the piece today re: Shaun quietly & called literally 0 families & asked 0 attorneys, but my own, for feedback or anything. Shaun King is lying, again" (shown below, right).

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