Beware Linda Sarsour’s ‘Harvey Hurricane Relief Fund’

That link takes potential donors to a donation page that evokes the devastation of Harvey, clearly mentioning the “Hurricane Harvey Community Relief Fund” next to a picture of flooded Houston highways.

But the page’s donation button doesn’t direct funds to any of the actual groups currently involved in Hurricane relief, like the Houston Food Bank, the Greater Houston Community Foundation or the Texas Diaper Bank. Instead, the page funnels money to the “Texas Organizing Project Education Fund,” a nonprofit dedicated to “advancing racial and economic justice through community and electoral organizing.”

Have these advocates of justice decided to help provide food or shelter for the displaced? Not exactly. “All donations made here will only be used to organize in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey,” the group announced on its Facebook page. “Together we will organize and advocate for our devastated communities, shining a spotlight on inequalities that emerge in the restoration of lives, livelihoods, and homes, amplifying the needs of hard-hit communities, and providing legal assistance for residents wrongfully denied government support.”

Sarsour’s tactics got the attention of conservatives.

To be fair, TOP does have a history of using its resources to help hurricane victims in the aftermath of a storm. After Hurricane Ike hit Houston in 2008, the group lobbied the government to ensure that federal reconstruction funds would go toward helping repair the homes of low-income residents. But that’s a long way from what most people have in mind when they see a call for hurricane relief donations.

Texas Organizing Project did not respond to a request for comment.