Treasury Department Sends Inquiry to CodePink About Cuba Trip

CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin stated that the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sent an email inquiry to the organization about its March trip to Cuba. The message, which arrived in a spam folder, contained roughly a dozen questions about travel logistics, lodging, daily activities, and the delivery of approximately $600,000 in humanitarian supplies.

Benjamin said the inquiry was addressed to co-founder Jody Evans and that political streamer Hasan Piker had not received a similar request. She described the volume of requested information as substantial and noted that CodePink D.C. Coordinator Olivia DiNucci is also expected to receive a query.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control enforces U.S. sanctions on Cuba that restrict financial transactions and require licensing for authorized travel. Benjamin said the request asked for hour-by-hour details of the trip involving about 170 participants.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated this week that nonprofits must know their grant recipients and can face accountability if funds support unlawful activity. The inquiry fits within broader administration efforts to examine whether activist organizations comply with sanctions laws.

Benjamin said the request requires CodePink to hire legal counsel and spend staff time responding. She acknowledged the inquiry is serious while framing it as an effort to discourage travel to Cuba. "And of course, this is to make people think, 'Uh oh, should I go to Cuba?