LGBTQ+ Alliance regains control of financial accounts amid legal turmoil

The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance has regained control of its financial accounts one month after former CEO Ryan Weyandt seized the accounts, after ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud of Minnesota on Friday. Weyandt seized the accounts after allegations surfaced that the trade group had fallen into disrepair. 

According to the ruling, Weyandt — who is facing felony charges in Minnesota for allegedly possessing explicit content of minors — must return the group’s domains, emails, social media profiles and financial accounts.

Additionally, he has been ordered to close the group’s Chase bank account by Aug. 25 and is barred from accessing the remaining accounts. He is also not allowed to speak or act on behalf of the alliance. Tostrud said this decision is due in part to the criminal allegations against him. 

Weyandt left the Alliance in December 2024. The legal battle between him and his former employer began roughly six months later in June 2025, when he sent an email to the group’s leaders and members notifying them that he had taken emergency oversight as the alliance’s incorporator and listed agent with the IRS and Minnesota Secretary of State.

In a Substack post, Weyandt said he decided to do this due to issues within the group’s leadership. These issues included leaving board seats unfilled, unchecked spending, pursuing bankruptcy without notifying him as CEO, and cancelling national votes and events without proper notice.

Weyandt requested a temporary restraining order against the alliance from the Dakota County District Court, but his efforts stalled, leading him to pass his evidence to the state attorney general’s office. 

According to a spokesperson at the alliance, Weyandt’s claims are “completely baseless” and he “could not substantiate [them] in court.”

Weyandt is facing five felony charges in the Dakota County court for allegedly possessing explicit content of minors. That came after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a tip in November 2024 with Weyandt’s IP address.

An arrest warrant issued earlier this month shows that authorities seized electronic devices with thousands of videos and images of minors engaged in sexual activities.

Weyandt posted a $150,000 bond earlier this month, but he is not allowed to leave the state without prior court approval, and he is prohibited from contact with minors both online and in person. His charges carry a maximum prison sentence of five years each and a maximum fine of $5,000.