A political action committee associated with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) has been silent about its contributions from liberal donor Ed Buck, who had a second man die in his Los Angeles apartment earlier this week.
The House Majority PAC, which helps elect Democrats in Congress's lower chamber, took $5,000 from Buck during the 2014 election cycle, but has yet to address the donations. The PAC did not respond to numerous questions from the Washington Free Beacon this week about any plans to refund or donate his contributions.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), who took a total of $30,000 from Buck during the 2016 and 2018 election cycles, has also been mum on its donations from the megadonor. The Washington Examiner's Alana Goodman reached out to the DCCC earlier this week about the donations but says she has yet to receive a response.
The DCCC did not immediately return a request for comment on the money it has received from Buck.
While the Pelosi-linked PAC and the DCCC have avoided addressing the donations, Rep. Ted Lieu (D., Calif.) announced after the Free Beacon inquired about donations from Buck that the congressman would give away the $18,500 he received to his campaign committee over the years to five left-wing charities and organizations. Lieu said he would be giving the funds to Lambda Legal, NAACP, GLAAD, the Trevor Project, and the Equality California Institute.
However, California activists who have been protesting Buck are not happy with where Lieu decided to push his money.
"Ted Lieu, Kevin de Leon and any other elected official who claims to return Ed Buck's money and it doesn't go to the fund set up to help Gemmel Moore's family and Buck's other victims does not get praise," said Jasmyne Cannick, a Los Angeles-based activist.
"When white women asked for money to be given to their #TimesUp Legal Defense Fund politicians did just that," Cannick said. "These white led LGBTQ orgs have traditionally done nothing to help the population of men affected by Ed Buck."
"The ask was clear. Crystal clear. Anything less is unacceptable and doesn't get applause—especially when it comes 18 months later and is not what was asked by the victims and Gemmel Moore's mother."
Gemmel Moore, an alleged male escort, was the first man found dead in Buck's apartment in July 2017. A number of young gay black men came forward following Moore's death claiming that the Democratic donor has a "fetish for shooting drugs into black men he picks up off the streets or hookup sites."
"I've become addicted to drugs and the worst one at that," Moore wrote in his journal in December 2016. "Ed Buck is the one to thank. He gave me my first injection of crystal meth."
Buck did not face chargers for Moore's death, which was ruled an accidental methamphetamine overdose.
Timothy Dean, a 55-year-old gay black man, has been identified as the individual found dead in Buck's apartment this week. Methamphetamine was said to be the "immediate cause" of Dean's death.
Buck's lawyer has said that Dean's death was an "accidental overdose" and that he was "intoxicated" when he arrived at Buck's apartment.