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Truthlytics - Beyond The Headlines

Operation Olive Branch Escalating Allegations and the Struggle for Transparency

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Truthlytics continues to cover the escalating allegations of misconduct, financial mismanagement, and harassment faced by Operation Olive Branch. These issues underscore the urgent need for transparency and accountability in non-profit organizations.

Background

Operation Olive Branch, a charitable organization dedicated to aiding communities in Gaza, Sudan, and Congo, is currently under scrutiny. While the group has successfully raised over a million dollars for its mission, former volunteers and whistleblowers have raised serious concerns about its internal practices. These include allegations of workplace harassment and financial mismanagement, alongside broader questions of governance:

  • Where is the money going?
  • What kind of organizational structure exists?
  • Who oversees the funds?
  • Who serves on the board?

Such concerns are particularly pressing for an organization operating in politically sensitive contexts. Transparency and ethical management are not just desirable but essential to maintaining donor trust and fulfilling its mission.

Complicating matters, the U.S. government has increased pressure by linking certain fundraising activities and donors to accusations of supporting terrorism. In this charged environment, accountability becomes a moral imperative.

Call for Transparency Ignored

Four former volunteers—AuntieEm (@thecraftylittlewitch), RevACABforCuteT (@acabforcutet), ChyGunn (@drchygunn), and Faith (@faith.in.progress)—voiced concerns about transparency and governance within Operation Olive Branch. They reported being dismissed and accused of “centering themselves” for questioning the organization’s leadership and financial practices. When they voiced their concerns publicly, Operation Olive Branch responded by issuing cease-and-desist letters and filing IC3 complaints with the FBI through its attorney.

These whistleblowers have since faced significant online harassment, including coordinated efforts to silence them through mass reporting of their social media accounts and attempts to tarnish their reputations.

Controversial Figures and Distrust

Savannah Sparks, a pharmacist and TikTok influencer known as @Rx0rcist, is a polarizing figure whose alleged involvement with Operation Olive Branch has heightened tensions. Sparks, who has faced widespread criticism for doxing individuals online, was linked to the organization through screenshots provided by whistleblowers. Doxing is the act of publicly revealing someone’s private or personally identifiable information (such as their address, phone number, or workplace) without their consent, often with the intent to harass, intimidate, or cause harm. Core member Morrigu addressed these allegations in a group chat, obtained through the original whistleblowers, stating:

“The individual they’re referring to (Savannah) is NOT a member of Core but is in the Core Chat. No one works beneath them or with them. They handle our final level of security and have not been pinged in literal months since we’ve finished verification of families and have not had an internal security scare to escalate them… They are not connected to the ‘feds’; they are connected to a cop…We are not going to continue to center deliberate disinformation and white feminist panic in the group. Mediation is available. We are going to need all the white women forwarding the fake news from their crisis clique group chat to attend the official group mediation with a therapist, or you can rock with the allies from now on.”

This dismissive response and the lack of clarity surrounding Sparks’ role have deepened mistrust among donors and volunteers. Ethical standards demand transparency about individuals in key positions, especially when their actions have caused public controversy.

Image courtesy of TheLastPoet

The TheLastPoet’s Experience

Truthlytics spoke with “TheLastPoet,” (thelastpoet_hhb) a TikTok creator and advocate who requested anonymity for privacy reasons. TheLastPoet was approached by Zem, a core member of Operation Olive Branch, to serve as a beneficiary for a family that had lost their former sponsor. At the time, TheLastPoet was working as an executive assistant at a non-profit organization and pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Motivated by their commitment to supporting vulnerable families, they offered to consult for OOB at no charge during its early grassroots efforts.

In a meeting with Morrigu, another core member of Operation Olive Branch, TheLastPoet was told they were seeking someone with “more expertise.” Despite this dismissive treatment, they remained determined to contribute. TheLastPoet spent countless hours developing a detailed workflow plan for Operation Olive Branch, aiming to streamline its operations and enhance its ability to serve families in need. While elements of their proposed workflow were later implemented, TheLastPoet was never acknowledged for their contribution.

TheLastPoet’s involvement with Operation Olive Branch remained limited, but their experiences took a troubling turn when Zem reached out to them with a financial request. They were asked to transfer nearly $5,000 on behalf of the organization. Although the request was verified by a core member, LastPoet declined, citing concerns about the lack of proper fiscal oversight. They suggested processing the funds through Operation Olive Branch’s fiscal sponsor, but Zem reiterated that OOB operated under its own 501(c)(3) status—a claim now all but refuted.

Questionable 501(c)(3) Status

The allegations regarding Operation Olive Branch claiming to be a 501(c)(3) status have been confirmed with evidence, yet the organization continues to deny these claims. They now state that they are a non-profit with a fiscal sponsor, whom they refuse to identify, claiming they are indigenous-led and wish to protect their identity. Non-profits are expected to be transparent about their financial status and affiliations to ensure donors and stakeholders can trust the organization’s operations and governance.

Truthlytics has received information of the Sacred Defense Fund, formerly Lakota Law, as OOB’s potential fiscal sponsor. However, there is no public acknowledgment or official link between the two organizations. This lack of clarity leaves donors in a precarious position, unsure of where their money is going and whether their contributions are being handled in compliance with federal regulations.

For donors, the implications are significant. Misrepresentation of tax-exempt status could mean that donations made to Operation Olive Branch may not be eligible for tax deductions, despite claims to the contrary. Beyond the financial implications, donors may feel betrayed if they discover their contributions were not managed transparently or ethically. This breach of trust can have far-reaching consequences, not just for Operation Olive Branch but for the broader ecosystem of grassroots organizations that rely on public goodwill to sustain their efforts.

Photo from Openverse

Eroding Credibility and Impact on Families

Paired with the questionable non-profit status, questionable participants with heavy involvement, a lack of transparency, and continued reports of toxicity and a bad work environment, Operation Olive Branch seems to be rapidly coming under increasing scrutiny. Efforts have been made to silence not only the whistleblowers but now TheLastPoet as well. It is not only important that legal protections are offered to whistleblowers but that the public listens with a critical eye and protects them just as much as the law. Whistleblowing takes bravery, and it is required to keep checks and balances. This puts the families that have come to depend on them in a very precarious situation and offers a poor reflection of the grassroots movements and organizations that have come out of this movement. When individuals are already suffering from donor fatigue, they now have to worry if they can trust the organizations they’re donating to. Operation Olive Branch has significant strides to make in clearing up these allegations.

Truthlytics Commitment

At Truthlytics, we are dedicated to fair and unbiased reporting. To ensure a balanced perspective, we reached out to the Core members of Operation Olive Branch, Savannah Sparks, the Sacred Defense Fund, and their legal representatives for comments on these allegations. While some parties declined to respond, others did not reply to our inquiries.

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