Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King's Grassroots Law PAC paid $40,000 of its coffered donations to buy a new dog for the King family.
According to The Washington Free Beacon and campaign finance disclosures, Grassroots Law invoiced California-based Potrero Performance Dogs in February for a $30,650 payment. In December, the organization issued a $10,000 payment.
But in February, King wrote in a now unavailable Facebook post that he would be welcoming a "new member of the King family," an award-winning mastiff bred by Potrero called Marz.
While no allegations of wrongdoing have been brought against Grassroots Law, purchasing a new dog for apparent private use raises concern.
"This luxury dog expense may not be illegal for a PAC, but it shows little respect for King's donors," Scott Walter, the president of Capital Research Center, said.
On Tuesday, King, whose PAC is a proponent of the "defund the police movement," wrote in an Instagram post that he needed the dog to protect his home because "New York City won't even allow me to have a gun" and "New Jersey doesn't have stand your ground laws and hardly allows you to even own guns."
"I need you to know this so that you understand why our family not only needs a guard dog at home, but 24/7 security wherever we go," King added. "White supremacists and people who've meant my family harm have now shown up to our last three homes. Multiple times."
King maintained that Marz would provide "alertness and protection" and duties of a family pet. But earlier this month, the breeder wrote on social media that Marz had been given back because "he's got a little too much energy to be a family dog."
In the past, King has come under fire over social justice projects fraught with controversy. In one instance, the mother of a 12-year-old Ohio boy killed by police, Tamir Rice, accused King of robbing her when King held unauthorized fundraisers in Rice's name.
Grassroots Law PAC, which seeks to "elect candidates who are committed to reducing mass incarceration and police violence," has, in 2021, paid about as much for King's dog as it had on political candidates. According to the Beacon, "the PAC has contributed around $56,000 to political candidates since 2021."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.