The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has committed to spending $45 million so far toward prison reform and affordable housing, according to Vice News.
CZI was formed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and pediatrician Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife, to advance social causes in areas such as health care and education. Last month, CZI said it was funding groups advocating for immigration reform and better standards for criminal investigations into sexual violence.
Because CZI isn't registered as a nonprofit, it's not required to regularly disclose its spending. Zuckerberg has said he intends to cash in up to $12.8 billion in Facebook shares in the next year and a half to fund his philanthropic endeavors.
In response to a request for comment on the Vice report, CZI referred CNBC to its prior public announcements about funding for work around criminal justice and housing, including advocacy work supporting those issues.
Zuckerberg's investments, paired with a tour of the U.S., have drawn comparisons to a presidential campaign. But David Plouffe, former Obama advisor and policy boss at CZI, told Vice News those rumors were "silly" and "political scuttlebutt."