Squad’s $2.35M Fund Bars Police Union Donations

The Squad Victory Fund — the joint fundraising committee for four of the House’s most prominent progressive Democrats — has raised a record $2.35 million this election cycle, according to federal filings. But buried in the fund’s donor rules is a detail drawing sharp criticism: the committee explicitly refuses donations from the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest police organization.

The fund is authorized by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. It gives the four lawmakers and their allied groups a shared vehicle to collect and distribute campaign contributions — and this cycle, it has collected more than ever before.

A Record Haul — With One Notable Exception

According to its Federal Election Commission summary, the Squad Victory Fund has raised $2,351,388.02 in the 2025-2026 election cycle, the highest total in the committee’s history. Through March 31, 2026, it had spent about $1.6 million and reported roughly $68,000 in cash on hand. The committee remains active, so those figures may change as new filings arrive.

The fund’s disclosure lists the groups whose money it will not accept — and the Fraternal Order of Police sits on that list alongside corporations, federal lobbyists and fossil fuel interests. The disclosure offers no explanation for singling out the police union.

The FOP represents hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers nationwide, and the exclusion has not gone unnoticed. Critics argue that naming the police union separately — rather than simply declining all organizational donations — sends a deliberate message to officers. Supporters of the Squad would counter that the fund’s donor rules are a statement of values, consistent with the group’s long-standing criticism of policing policy.

A Long History of Friction

The Squad’s relationship with law enforcement has been a recurring political controversy for years, particularly since the "defund the police" movement gained national prominence in 2020. Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Tlaib and Pressley have each supported significant changes to policing or criminal justice policy, although their individual positions and legislative priorities have differed.

The Fraternal Order of Police, meanwhile, has frequently opposed progressive proposals it believes would undermine police departments or officer protections. The national organization endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, citing his record and positions on public safety.

That history gives the fundraising restriction a sharper edge than a routine donor policy. Placing the police union on the same exclusion list as corporate and fossil fuel interests is, to critics, a snub aimed squarely at rank-and-file officers. To the Squad’s supporters, it is simply consistency: a committee that refuses corporate money refusing police union money as well.

What the Fund Actually Does

The Squad Victory Fund is structured as a joint fundraising committee, allowing supporters to contribute through a single operation that distributes proceeds among the participating campaigns and allied political organizations. Its four congressional beneficiaries are Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley and Tlaib.

There is an important distinction in the committee’s policy that often gets lost in the debate: it specifically excludes contributions from the Fraternal Order of Police as an organization. The fund’s disclosure does not bar individual police officers from donating personally, and it does not explain why the FOP was named at all.

Whether the exclusion costs the Squad anything politically is an open question. The four congresswomen all won reelection in the midterms, and the fund’s record haul suggests its donor base is energized rather than alienated. But the episode hands their critics a ready-made talking point — and with the new Congress seated in January, the Squad’s relationship with law enforcement is unlikely to fade from the debate.

Photo: AI-generated image

Keep Exploring

• Trump Accepts Midterm Results, Congratulates Democrats
• Democrats Sweep 2026 Midterms: Senate and House