Brian Krassenstein faces scrutiny over alleged donation to designated terrorist group

Influencer Brian Krassenstein is facing scrutiny from U.S. officials after allegedly claiming to have donated money to Autistici/Inventati, an Italy-based collective recently designated as a global terrorist organization by the United States.

Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson publicly confronted Krassenstein regarding a screenshot of a deleted post that read, “Donated thanks.” Johnson warned that donating to a specially designated global terrorist is a federal crime that can result in up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million.

The Autistici/Inventati collective was sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control under Executive Order 13224. The group is described as providing digital infrastructure, such as encrypted email and website hosting, to violent far-left extremists.

Krassenstein has since backtracked, urging followers to withhold donations to avoid arrest. While the State Department has issued warnings, no formal charges have been filed, and the authenticity of the deleted post has not been independently verified.