Dark Money and Election Interference

How foreign NGOs are impacting your freedom of speech

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Across the West today, leftists employ a common trope that they can't seem to get away from – they accuse others of what they themselves are doing. This is proving true once again with recent allegations of election interference by a leftist anti-free-speech group with deep connections to both the United Kingdom's Labour Party, and the Democratic Party – including the Harris campaign – in the United States.

In the digital age, where public discourse increasingly occurs online, the ability to speak freely on social media platforms is essential to democracy. Yet, behind closed doors, shadowy non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are diligently working to stifle that speech, often under the pretext of "combating disinformation."

One such organization is the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a British NGO with close ties to left-wing political parties in both the the UK and the US. The CCDH has positioned itself as a self-proclaimed "anti-hate" watchdog, but its actions reveal it to be little more than a cog in a larger left-wing machine, wielding its influence inside the governments of Britain and America to silence opposition, muzzle platforms like X (formerly Twitter), and crush political figures like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

WHAT IS THE CCDH?

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) was launched by Imran Ahmed as a medium through which he and his team could "demand reform" (censorship) and persuade "policymakers" and "civil society leaders" to censor and shut down those who they consider purveyors of "online hate and disinformation."

And CCDH founder and CEO Ahmed maintains significant ties to the UK Labour Party. Before establishing the CCDH, Ahmed served as a political advisor to prominent Labour Party figures, including Hilary Benn and Angela Eagle, both members of Parliament. Other CCDH board members include Kristy McNeill (a former advisor to Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown) and Morgan McSweeney, a former CCDH board member who currently serves as chief of staff for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer​, and is credited as the "mastermind" behind Labour's victory in the July 4 UK elections. As a side note, McSweeney was paid by the Labour Party to attend the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.​

In the United States, CCDH influence extends directly into Democratic Party circles, including the Biden Administration itself. Reports show the group working closely with Kamala Harris' team, as well as with officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to develop speech policies.

Conservative interest group America First Legal has launched a full investigation into reports suggesting that the CCDH collaborated with members of the Biden Administration, twelve Democratic state attorneys general, and federal agencies like the DHS to shape policies targeting individuals deemed problematic or spreading "disinformation." These connections granted the CCDH privileged access to government officials, as well as direct influence over speech regulations, raising serious concerns about foreign interference in American public discourse​

AN AGENDA-DRIVEN FOREIGN LOBBY

CCDH efforts stray far beyond the "civil rights advocacy" they claim. The organization is funded by dark money from UK-based NGOs like the Barrow Cadbury Trust and the Pears Foundation, both of which fund initiatives that push "progressive social justice" agendas.

These foundations' financial backing of the CCDH (among many others) aligns the NGO with efforts to shape public discourse in ways that promote far-left ideological views. The Barrow Cadbury Trust, for example, explicitly focuses on influencing public opinion and policy through grants and research, highlighting its involvement in agenda-driven philanthropy​.

The Pears Foundation similarly provides financial support to organizations with a focus on left-wing "social change and advocacy," suggesting that its involvement with the CCDH serves not merely as charitable aid, but as a way to exert pressure on media platforms and public policies

Organizations like these, while claiming ideological and political independence, are typically little more than "shell corporations" used by governments and powerful people to influence policy while hiding behind a facade of objectivity, and even philanthropy. In the case of the CCDH, the organization's ideological alignment with both Labour and the Democratic Party has exposed the groups as little more than an enforcer of left-wing narratives, pressuring platforms and policymakers to silence voices of dissent.

CCDH'S WAR ON X: 'KILL MUSK'S TWITTER"

The CCDH didn't stop with individual targets. When Elon Musk acquired Twitter, the organization saw its worst fears materialize. Musk's promise to restore free speech on the platform – transforming it into a true digital town square – threatened the censorship apparatus that the CCDH helped build. In response, the group launched a coordinated campaign to sabotage Twitter's operations.

Leaked documents reveal that "Kill Musk's Twitter" was not just a slogan inside the CCDH, but an actionable plan. The organization pressured advertisers to boycott Musk's platform, spreading narratives that his leadership would unleash harmful content​. The aim was clear: cripple the platform financially and force compliance through economic pressure.

THE 'BLACK OPS' CAMPAIGN AGAINST RFK, JR.

The CCDH also targeted Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., whose presidential campaign posed a challenge to the Democratic establishment. Kennedy's criticism of vaccine mandates and government overreach made him a threat to the status quo – something the CCDH was quick to address. Leaked memos from the organization describe a "black ops" campaign aimed at censoring and discrediting Kennedy.

The CCDH worked with US government officials and media outlets to ensure that Kennedy's messaging would be labeled as dangerous disinformation, restricting his access to platforms and throttling his ability to reach voters. This campaign highlights a disturbing pattern: unelected organizations using their influence to interfere with political discourse and sway elections in ways that benefit favored candidates.

A PUSH TO IMPORT EUROPEAN CENSORSHIP

Central to the CCDH mission is the drive to export Europe's restrictive speech laws to the United States. The organization has lobbied for policies modeled on the European Union's Digital Services Act, which forces platforms to remove (intentionally) vaguely-defined harmful content or face severe penalties​.

This regulatory model pressures platforms to over-censor speech, chilling public discourse and undermining the principles of free expression.

The CCDH campaign to impose these regulations in the United States reveals a deliberate strategy to bypass the protections of the First Amendment by leveraging partnerships with politicians and sympathetic media outlets. Through this strategy, the CCDH seeks to remake the American internet in the image of European-style censorship, rendering it a restrictive realm where speech is ruthlessly over-policed, and expression that contravenes state mandates is not tolerated.

WHY THIS MATTERS: THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH

The influence of the CCDH, including its connections at the highest levels of US politics, reflects a growing trend of shadowy NGOs leveraging dark money and political pull to shut down public discourse and curb the First Amendment.

By colluding with the Biden Administration, Democratic Party officials, and social media platforms, the CCDH exemplifies the dangers of state-backed censorship by proxy.

At its core, this story is about who controls the narrative – and whether ordinary citizens will retain the right to speak freely in the digital public square.

CONCLUSION: A CALL TO ACTION

As CCDH activities reveal, the lines between NGO advocacy, political interests, and government power have become dangerously blurred. This convergence of influence threatens to undermine democracy by silencing speech that challenges the political establishment.

The coordination between the CCDH, the Biden-Harris Administration, and other influential political actors suggests a troubling erosion of democratic norms.

The use of nonprofits to bypass First Amendment protections, and the collaboration between government agencies and foreign-backed organizations, should greatly concern the American public – because it is still ongoing.

The CCDH pulls back the usual camouflage that hides how so many policies are pushed into law against the wishes of the public. It reveals the growing influence of unaccountable groups that can dictate speech standards, skew political discourse, and even target political figures like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. or disrupt platforms like X.

The fundamental role of government is to uphold the rights of citizens, not enforce the will of radical political lobby groups. The fight to defend free speech and public discourse is far from over.

Arthur is a former editor and consultant. Born in India to missionary parents, he spent his early career working in development for NGOs in Asia, Central America, and Africa.

Arthur has an educational background in history and psychology, with certifications from the University of Oxford and Leiden in the economics, politics, and ethics of mass migration and comparative theories in terrorism and counterterrorism. He is currently launching CivWest, a company focused on building capital to fund restorative projects and create resilient systems across the Western world.

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