OAN Staff James Myers
9:44am – Tuesday, November 26, 2024
An anti-police activist is accused of misappropriating more than $75,000 in donations for luxury vacations and shopping, and forcing employees to cash out “tens of thousands of dollars in earned wages” in short order, a Washington, D.C., lawsuit says. argued the Attorney General. on monday.
advertisement
The District of Columbia Attorney General's Office is currently charging Raheem AI Executive Director Brandon Anderson with “misappropriating $75,000 in nonprofit funds for personal use” since 2021. .
The funds reportedly included “more than $40,000 in luxury vacation rental services that allow members to stay in luxury mansions and penthouse apartments, and $10,000 in hotels and Airbnb for individual travel, including resorts in Cancun.” over $10,000 for designer clothing brands and $5,000 for emergency veterinary services.”
“Brandon Anderson misused charitable donations to fund lavish vacations and shopping, but Raheem AI's board let him go,” Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement. “Not only did their financial abuse violate fundamental principles of nonprofit governance, but Mr. Anderson and Mr. Raheem AI failed to pay the funds. [sole District-based] Wages earned by employees.
“My office will not tolerate people breaking the law, defrauding taxpayers, or stealing from workers under the guise of a noble cause,” he added.
Anderson is known as an advocate for police abolition, and in 2017 advocated “giving crisis responders in Black, brown, and indigenous communities the tools, training, connections, and funding they need to provide care.” Raheem Al was founded with this goal in mind.
Raheem Al was considering creating an emergency calling app that would allow people skeptical of police to avoid calling 911 in times of crisis.
Anderson's nonprofit organization received more than $4.3 million in donations before the app project “succumbed,” the paper reported. new york times.
Schwalb alleges that Anderson raided Raheem AI's safe for personal use starting in 2021.
Additionally, the complaint against Anderson Al and Raheem Al alleges more than $40,000 in rent for the mansion and penthouse apartment, more than $10,000 in personal travel, including a trip to a resort in Cancun, and payments from luxury retailers. It details a $10,000 “officer clothing allowance” that will be used for purchases. .
The complaint also alleges that Anderson and Raheem AI violated the District's nonprofit corporation law, wage payment and collection law, and noncompete agreement law.
“The board also failed to take steps to oversee the organization's finances, including Mr. Anderson's corruption,” Schwalb said.
The lawsuit also alleges that Banks was forced to sign an “unlawful” non-compete clause as part of the terms of his employment.
“It pains me to say this, but I believe it was a scam from the beginning,” Banks said. new york times About Raheem AI and Anderson in August.
Stay informed. Receive breaking news directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisement below
Please share this post!
