Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a subpoena to the Democratic Socialists of America, opening an investigation into whether the organization accepted contributions or support from Cuba or China and whether its fundraising from Florida donors was handled transparently and lawfully. Uthmeier announced the move this week, framing it as a probe into foreign money flowing through delegations and travel-fund solicitations connected to DSA's Florida chapters.
What the Subpoena Targets
“We are examining whether DSA accepted contributions or support from foreign sources of concern, including the regimes in Cuba and China,” Uthmeier said, according to the Florida Phoenix. The outlet reports the subpoena alleges a possible violation of state laws against solicitation of funds from Cuba and China. Per the Floridian, Uthmeier said the subpoena falls under Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act along with state laws governing the solicitation of funds, and that the inquiry covers travel-fund solicitations for trips and related activities involving DSA's Florida chapters.
Uthmeier also said DSA national leaders and National Political Committee members met with Cuban government officials on delegations, and that a separate DSA delegation was sent to China, according to the Floridian's report. He estimated that the travel and related activities cost tens of thousands of dollars, and said DSA's Venceremos Fund has raised over $86,000, per the same report.
The March Convoy and Cuba Delegations
Reporting from the Florida Phoenix indicates a DSA delegation that included Florida members joined a coalition of activist groups, including Code Pink and Progressive International, on the Nuestra America convoy to Cuba in March, where members reportedly met with Cuban government officials. The delegation reportedly brought medical and school supplies along with solar panels, the Florida Phoenix reports. DSA's own International Committee has separately reported that 40 elected leaders and rank-and-file members were sent to Cuba in October, with the group describing a delegation that delivered hundreds of pounds of solidarity aid and learned about what the organization calls socialist achievements and challenges in Cuba, according to the Floridian.
DSA's international arm has been publicly fundraising for Cuba aid through its Venceremos Fund. As of August 6, the group said it had raised $78,668 toward a $100,000 goal to fund a second shipment of medical supplies, according to the DSA International Committee. The organization has said 100 percent of donated funds would go toward purchasing supplies and shipping them to Cuba, and that Global Health Partners matched donations up to $10,000 for the effort.
A separate account published on DSA's own Democratic Left site describes a 2025 Cuba delegation of 40 people as the second trip run by the group's Cuba Solidarity Program. That delegation said it partnered with the nonpartisan organization Not Just Tourists to deliver day-to-day medical supplies and donated school supplies at the Nicolás Estévanez Murphy Primary School, according to Democratic Left.
What Florida Law Says About Solicitations
Uthmeier said Florida law prohibits accepting contributions from foreign sources of concern and requires organizations to be honest and transparent about how money is raised and used, per the Floridian's report. The subpoena seeks documents needed to determine DSA's compliance, Uthmeier said.
Florida's Solicitation of Contributions Act, codified in sections 496.401 through 496.424, is intended to require public disclosure about solicitations and the use of contributions and to prohibit deception, fraud, and misrepresentation, according to the Florida Legislature. Under section 496.404 of the Florida Statutes, a contribution is defined broadly to include a promise, pledge, or grant of money or property, financial assistance, or another thing of value given in response to a solicitation. The statute also specifies that the Act does not apply to political contributions solicited in accordance with Florida's election laws, per the Florida Legislature's text.
“Florida law requires transparency,” Uthmeier said, adding that his office will follow the facts and enforce the law, and that those who break the law will be held accountable, according to the Floridian. “We will not allow foreign adversaries to influence Florida through the back door of nonprofit fundraising,” he said in the same statement. On X, the attorney general's account posted that his office is examining foreign contributions, including from Cuba and China, tied to DSA's delegations and travel, according to @AGJamesUthmeier.
A Subpoena Following a DSA Election Win
The subpoena lands just a week after DSA notched a notable Florida victory. Six DSA-backed candidates won congressional races, and in Florida, Democrat Ashley Herrmann, backed by DSA, ousted Republican incumbent Danny Alvarez in state House District 69, according to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
