The Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust Files FOIA Request on DNA Testing Companies

On August 19, 2025, the Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust formally submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Department of the Treasury under Case No. 2025-FOIA-02494. This request seeks records of contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, or financial arrangements between the federal government and major consumer DNA testing companies, including:

• 23andMe, Inc.

• Ancestry.com DNA, LLC

• MyHeritage DNA

• FamilyTreeDNA (Gene by Gene, Ltd.)

• African Ancestry, Inc.

• Any subsidiaries or affiliates of the above companies

Why This Matters

The Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust is pursuing this inquiry because of long-standing concerns that commercial DNA testing companies have misrepresented or manipulated results tied to the descendants of America’s formerly enslaved population—known as Freedmen. For decades, Black Americans have been told that their genetic origins are “African” by default, even when family records, historical markers, and physical evidence indicate otherwise.

By obtaining Treasury records, we seek to determine whether federal resources or partnerships have contributed to shaping, reinforcing, or funding these classifications. If the U.S. government has entered into agreements with these companies, it raises critical questions:

• Were public funds used to support or validate consumer DNA reclassification systems?

• Has there been collusion or coordination between the government and private DNA companies to generalize or erase Freedmen identity?

• Are taxpayers unknowingly financing research or marketing that misrepresents Freedmen descendants in America?

Protecting Freedmen Identity

The Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust is committed to protecting the historical, legal, and cultural identity of Freedmen. Our people were reclassified on paper and in records by government action, and we continue to see the effects of this fraud in today’s systems. DNA testing companies have become one of the most visible tools used to reinforce that misclassification.

This FOIA filing is not just about contracts and funding—it is about transparency. The public has a right to know if federal agencies are supporting companies that profit from and perpetuate the erasure of Freedmen identity.

Next Steps

We have requested that the Treasury Department provide all responsive records in electronic format. If portions of the requested documents are exempt, we have asked that all segregable sections still be released.

The Trust will continue to update the public as this FOIA request progresses. Our responsibility is to ensure that the historical truth of the Freedmen is never hidden behind manipulated science or government-funded reclassification.