Florida Opens Probe Into Democratic Socialists of America Over Possible Foreign Money From Cuba and China

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a subpoena to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). His office wants to know whether the group took money from “foreign sources of concern,” including Cuba and China, in connection with its trips abroad. No specific charges have been announced. DSA members have traveled to both countries in recent years, and the move comes days after DSA-backed candidates won races across the country.

Nov 11, 2026 - 10:59

Florida Opens Probe Into Democratic Socialists of America Over Possible Foreign Money From Cuba and China

What Florida Is Asking For

Uthmeier announced the subpoena on Tuesday, November 10, in a video and a post on X. His office is looking at foreign contributions linked to DSA delegations and to its travel-fund appeals (WINK News).

The subpoena was issued under Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the state's rules on soliciting donations. A subpoena is a legal order to hand over documents. It is a tool for gathering facts, not a finding of guilt.

Uthmeier said the state wants to know whether DSA accepted foreign money and whether its fundraising from Florida donors was open and lawful. "Florida law requires transparency," he wrote.

What Is Still Unknown

Uthmeier has not named specific violations or accused any individual of wrongdoing (Newsweek). It is also not clear whether any foreign money actually reached DSA, or whether the investigation is only testing that possibility.

At the time of the first reports, DSA had not publicly responded to the subpoena. Both Newsweek and Fox News said they had contacted the group.

The Background: Trips to Havana

DSA has repeatedly sent delegations to Cuba. According to Fox News, a 2023 visit included a private meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. The same report says a U.S. State Department document released in July described the group's attempts to set up direct channels with Cuban ministries.

Cuba has been under a U.S. trade embargo for decades. The Cuban government is a one-party communist state with a long record of suppressing dissent, and DSA has called for the embargo to end.

A larger trip took place in March 2026. The "Nuestra America" convoy brought roughly 650 delegates from 33 countries to Cuba, and DSA members were among them (Fox News). In May, the U.S. Treasury's sanctions office reportedly sent subpoenas to streamer Hasan Piker, a DSA member, and to the activist group CodePink over that trip.

Politics and Pushback

Pressure on DSA has been building. In March, several Republican lawmakers said they were considering a push to strip the group of its tax-exempt status after it announced the Cuba trip (Daily Signal).

Critics on the left see these steps as political targeting. Truthout, a progressive outlet, has compared a list of scrutinized figures and groups, including DSA, to a "blacklist" (Truthout). Supporters of the investigations reply that groups meeting with communist governments should expect to answer questions about their money.

Why It Matters

The timing adds weight. Fox News reports that several DSA-backed candidates won federal, state and local races in last week's elections. The more political power a group gains, the more voters have a stake in knowing who funds it.

The key test is what the documents show. If the records are clean, the case will fade. If they show foreign money, the legal questions will grow quickly. Either way, the answer will come from the subpoenaed records, not from political rhetoric.

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Sources

Fox News – "Florida AG subpoenas DSA over potential illegal funding from Cuba and China": https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-ag-subpoenas-dsa-potential-illegal-funding-cuba-china
WINK News – "Florida AG subpoenas Democratic Socialists of America over foreign travel fund contributions": https://www.winknews.com/news/state/florida-ag-subpoenas-democratic-socialists-of-america-over-foreign-travel-fund-contributions/article_06d08b15-a60b-4942-889c-de71065c883e.html
Newsweek – "DSA Issued Subpoena by Florida AG for Potential Cuba and China Ties": https://www.newsweek.com/dsa-socialists-subpoena-cuba-china-probe-florida-uthmeier-12696188
Fox News – "Feds subpoena Hasan Piker, Medea Benjamin over Cuba trips": https://www.foxnews.com/politics/feds-subpoena-hasan-piker-medea-benjamin-over-cuba-trips
Daily Signal – "Lawmakers Mull Push to Strip Democratic Socialists of America of Nonprofit Status": https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/03/18/exclusive-lawmakers-mull-push-to-strip-democratic-socialist-of-america-of-non-profit-status/
Truthout – "House Republicans subpoena left-wing groups as Trump admin assembles blacklists": https://truthout.org/articles/house-republicans-subpoena-left-wing-groups-as-trump-admin-assembles-blacklists/