NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today slammed VDARE Foundation (VDARE) and its leaders, founder Peter Brimelow and his wife, Lydia Brimelow, with a lawsuit alleging years of brazen self-dealing and the misuse of millions in charitable assets. The suit claims the Brimelows siphoned at least $2 million from VDARE to line their own pockets, all while dodging financial oversight and even falsely claiming the organization had shut down while continuing to solicit donations.
“Charities are intended to serve the public, not to bankroll castles or pad personal fortunes,” Attorney General James declared. “The Brimelows used VDARE like their personal piggy bank, draining millions in charitable assets to enrich themselves. New Yorkers deserve accountability, and we will not allow these bad actors to keep abusing the trust of their donors and the public.” James is seeking to recover monetary damages, permanently bar the Brimelows from managing any New York charity, dissolve the VDARE Foundation, and place remaining assets under court supervision for legitimate charitable purposes.
The investigation, conducted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), revealed a pattern of abuse dating back to 1999, when VDARE was established as the Lexington Research Institute, Ltd. While publicly presenting itself as a charitable research organization, VDARE primarily operated the VDARE.com blog, known for its anti-immigration stance. Crucially, the organization’s board was consistently stacked with the Brimelows, their family, and close associates – a setup that allowed for unchecked financial manipulation.
The OAG uncovered a particularly egregious instance in 2020: the Brimelows used $1.4 million in VDARE funds to purchase a medieval-style castle in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Initially presented as a future VDARE office and conference space, the Brimelows promptly moved their family into the property and then orchestrated a complex series of transactions to transfer ownership to companies they controlled. These arrangements were facilitated by Lydia Brimelow’s father and rubber-stamped by the complicit board.
The scheme didn’t stop there. After shifting ownership of the castle to their out-of-state companies, the Brimelows established a rent-back agreement, where VDARE paid “rent” to the Brimelow-controlled entities for continued use of the property. This allowed them to extract hundreds of thousands of dollars. Lydia Brimelow further pledged all of VDARE’s assets as collateral for a loan from a company managed by her father. Any pretense of board oversight was a sham, given the board’s composition.
The Brimelows actively obstructed the OAG’s investigation, which began in 2022, ignoring subpoenas, withholding records, and forcing the Attorney General’s office to pursue legal action simply to obtain basic documentation. They’ve already been held in contempt of court twice and owe tens of thousands in penalties. James vows to bring the full weight of the law down on the Brimelows and ensure that charitable funds are used as intended – for the public good, not private enrichment.
Related Federal Cases
- VDARE Leaders Accused of Siphoning $2M for Personal Use · West Virginia
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- Brooklyn Woman Busted for Counterfeit Cash Scam in Wetzel County · West Virginia
- Western Union Scam · Washington
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: NY AG
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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