The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, has written a letter to the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind Wikipedia, questioning its status as a nonprofit organization. In the letter, which was obtained by The Free Press, Martin claims to have found that Wikipedia “engages in a number of activities that may violate its obligations” under the US tax-exempt organization law.
According to the law (Section 501(c)(3) of Title 26), tax-exempt organizations must operate “exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, scientific, public safety, literary, or educational purposes.” Martin claims that Wikipedia “allows foreign actors to manipulate information and spread propaganda,” including by “rewriting” historical events and through “other matters affecting the national security and interests of the United States.”
Martin is known for poorly substantiated legal threats against media organizations. In recent days, Martin has sent letters to the New England Journal of Medicine, CHEST Journal, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, accusing them of “being partisan in various scientific debates.”
Martin asks the Wikimedia Foundation to answer several questions, including what it does to “protect” the public from propaganda, and efforts to ensure that “foreign agents of influence cannot make targeted edits” to topics that could “reshape or rewrite history.” He gives the Foundation until May 15 to respond.
“Wikipedia’s content is governed by three core content policies: neutral viewpoint, verifiability, and no original research, which exist to ensure that information is presented as accurately, fairly, and neutrally as possible,” Jacob Rogers, assistant general counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation, said in an email to The Verge. “The entire content moderation process is overseen by nearly 260,000 volunteers and is open and transparent to all, which is why we welcome the opportunity to explain how Wikipedia works and will do so in the appropriate forum.”
Martin’s letter reflects a broader trend of right-wing attacks on Wikipedia. Last year, Elon Musk urged his supporters to “stop donating to Wikipedia” and later called the site “a continuation of outdated media propaganda.” In January, Forward.com reported that the Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank behind Project 2025, had created a presentation with a series of slides aimed at “targeting” Wikipedia editors.
Since then, the Wikimedia Foundation has created tools to protect editors’ identities, and CEO Mariana Iskander told the community that “there has been an increase in threats, both regulatory and judicial, around the world,” as reported by 404 Media.
