Republican Senator Jim Banks used a Senate floor speech to accuse technology entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham of aiding Chinese Communist Party political influence in the United States through a network of non-profits. The speech matters because it adds to congressional scrutiny of foreign influence, political funding and organisations associated with left-wing activism, although the claims reported are allegations.

Banks described Singham, a US citizen living in Shanghai, as part of China’s “political warfare” against the US and criticised funding linked to groups including CodePink. Fox News has reported that Singham directed an alleged $278 million to non-profits from 2017; Singham and organisations in the network have previously not responded to the outlet’s requests for comment.