How charity behind Madison 'autonomous zone' raked in tax dollars

A Wisconsin nonprofit group leading an illegal protest encampment that blocked traffic enjoys lavish federal, state, and local funding.

The city of Madison awarded Freedom Inc. at least $149,/000 this year for initiatives such as “[Southeast Asian] and Black Youth Programs” after years of similar community-focused grants, records show. The city’s awards offer a glimpse of the more than $5 million in government funds that flowed to Freedom Inc. since 2020, including from the Department of Justice and state officials.