The California Democratic Party bought 200 pallets of bricks in May 2025 to supply protesters during civil unrest in Los Angeles.
Rating: 🚫 False – Originated as Satire
In June 2025, social media posts on platforms like X and Facebook claimed the California Democratic Party purchased 200 pallets of bricks to hand out to protesters during immigration-related demonstrations in Los Angeles. The posts alleged the party said the bricks were intended for “future infrastructure projects” — a claim that quickly spread online.
However, this rumor originated as satire and has no basis in fact.
🔎 Where the Claim Came From
The first known version of this allegation appeared on comedian Jonathan Gregory’s Facebook page. Gregory’s bio describes him as a “Digital Content Creator for the Trump Administration” — a clear joke — and his post was written in the style of a news article. It read:
“A recent review of the California Democratic Party’s May 2025 expense report has uncovered a significant and controversial expenditure: the purchase of 200 pallets of construction-grade bricks…”
Although it looked like real news and was tagged with “@newsmax,” Gregory is not affiliated with Newsmax. His posts often use parody and misleading tags to mimic real reporting. This particular post was meant as satire, but many users shared it as if it were true.
📁 No Evidence in Campaign Finance Reports
Snopes reviewed the California Democratic Party’s official campaign finance records for May 2025, including Form 460 and Form 497 filings, which are available through California’s CAL-ACCESS system. There were:
- No expenses for bricks or construction materials
- No vendors or memos referencing such purchases
The reports only listed standard expenses like consulting, fundraising, events, and office operations.
A spokesperson for the party, Robin Swanson, firmly denied the claim, stating:
“CADEM has not purchased nor is in possession of any bricks. Period.”
When asked if the party had ever mentioned the bricks being for “infrastructure projects,” Swanson replied simply: “No.”
🎥 Misleading Video Evidence
A video circulated with the claim showed pallets of cinder blocks outside a Home Depot in Paramount, California, labeled with the date May 6, 2025, and a count of 120. The location was near where protests occurred around June 7.
However, these pallets were in a normal retail staging area used for customer pickups. There was no evidence linking the blocks to the Democratic Party or to any protest-related distribution.
A Home Depot spokesperson told Snopes:
“These pallets of cinderblocks were excess freight… delivered long before the protest. Extra product is regularly stored behind the store.”
✅ Final Verdict
This rumor began as a joke from a comedian, was misinterpreted online, and has no factual basis. No bricks were purchased by the California Democratic Party for protests, and no financial records or physical evidence support the claim.
Always check the source — not every viral “news” story is real.
