Turning Point USA is facing renewed scrutiny after alleged fundraising letters tied to the organisation and invoking the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk circulated widely online this week, triggering criticism over the group's rhetoric, finances and post-Kirk leadership strategy.
The controversy erupted after researcher and podcaster Leah McElrath, known online as @leahfiles, posted photographs on X of what she described as recent fundraising mailers sent to supporters and college students. The letters, which could not be independently verified in full, allegedly urged recipients to donate money to help expand conservative campus chapters while repeatedly referencing Kirk's killing in September 2025.
The reaction online was swift, particularly because the organisation reported roughly $84.9 million in revenue in its latest publicly available IRS filing.
One alleged letter, reportedly signed by TPUSA Chief Operating Officer Justin Streiff, described an "Emergency Reply Form" asking supporters to contribute sums ranging from $35 to $500. The letter allegedly framed the organisation's mission as tearing "young people out of the clutches of the Left" and warned that "radical students and professors are still desperate to keep Turning Point USA OFF their campuses."
The fundraising appeal reportedly closed by suggesting donations were the best way to honor Kirk's legacy following what the letter called his "murder." Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025. Authorities charged Tyler James Robinson with aggravated murder in connection with the killing.
A second alleged fundraising letter, posted separately online, was attributed to conservative commentator and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines. According to screenshots shared on X, the letter promoted TPUSA's "This is the Turning Point Tour" while referring to Kirk's death as an "assassination."
The Gaines letter drew particular attention because it reportedly stated that she "cannot support" TPUSA "as it stands" after Kirk's death, even while soliciting donations for the organization.
Neither TPUSA nor Gaines publicly confirmed the authenticity of the circulating documents as of publication. IBTimes UK reported that the organization did not respond to requests for comment before its story was published.
The dispute quickly evolved beyond the letters themselves into a broader debate over TPUSA's finances and fundraising practices.
McElrath alleged online that the group directs only a tiny percentage of its revenue toward grants. Publicly available IRS Form 990 filings for the fiscal year ending June 2024 show TPUSA generated approximately $84.9 million in revenue and reported roughly $13 million in grant spending.
However, according to reporting by IBTimes UK and analysis from Paddock Post, roughly $10 million of those grants went to affiliated organizations sharing TPUSA-linked addresses, leaving closer to $3 million distributed externally.
The organization's largest spending categories were significantly different:
- $21 million on travel, conventions and materials
- $21 million on employee compensation
- 454 total employees listed in filings
- First-class or charter travel expenses for senior leadership
The filings also showed TPUSA ended fiscal year 2024 with roughly $17.9 million in net assets, an increase from approximately $14 million the year before.
Under Kirk's leadership, Forbes previously estimated the organization raised roughly $389 million over its lifetime, transforming TPUSA from a campus-focused conservative nonprofit into one of the most influential youth-oriented organizations in Republican politics.
The latest controversy arrives during a period of heightened instability for the organization following Kirk's death.
In December 2025, separate allegations concerning financial improprieties and federal filing compliance circulated online, prompting Kirk's widow and current CEO, Erika Kirk, to seek clarification from the U.S. Treasury Department. CBS News later reported that Treasury officials confirmed TPUSA's tax-exempt entities were not under IRS investigation and had filed required paperwork on time.
Still, questions surrounding governance and spending have persisted. An independent audit cited by ProPublica reportedly identified deficiencies in internal financial controls at a related TPUSA entity, though the organization disputed those findings. Separately, the Federal Election Commission fined Turning Point Action $18,000 in 2024 over donor disclosure violations.
