The Democratic Socialists of America has been awarded $5.2 million in an inheritance dispute, delivering a substantial financial boost as the group seeks to expand its influence within the Democratic Party.
That sum represents nearly an entire year of the organization’s revenue, according to its recent tax filings.
New York University professor David Greenberg died in July 2024, leaving a will that directed the assets in his university retirement account to the New American Movement or “any successor thereof.”
The New American Movement merged with the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee in 1982, forming the Democratic Socialists of America and establishing the organization as the legal successor.
Greenberg’s nephew, Martin Hecht, filed a lawsuit contending that the Democratic Socialists of America had not filed the required paperwork to be recognized as the successor and that New York University had failed to verify the will’s accuracy before Greenberg’s death.
A judge ruled in favor of the Democratic Socialists of America, granting the $5.2 million award; a separate $1.3 million account was transferred to Greenberg’s estate without dispute.
The timing of the award coincides with a series of recent electoral victories for candidates backed by the organization, including a mayoral win in New York City in 2025 and primary successes in 2026.
Additional primary wins in Philadelphia, the District of Columbia and Colorado have broadened the group’s foothold in heavily Democratic urban districts.
These successes have increased the organization’s leverage within the Democratic Party, particularly in districts where it now holds a larger share of elected officials.
Historical spending patterns show the group routinely allocates funds to advertising, candidate recruitment, cash distributions to local chapters, and community‑mobilization campaigns.
Tax documents filed in November 2025 detail significant expenditures on messaging initiatives and financial support for affiliated groups.
Membership rose to 120,000 in early July, a figure the organization describes as the largest socialist membership base in United States history.
The Democratic Socialists of America has not disclosed specific plans for the newly acquired funds.
