Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that his office has reached settlements resolving investigations into the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, which also operated as the American Veteran Support Foundation (the “NVVF”), its former President and Founder, John Thomas Burch, Jr. (“Burch”), and its Vice President, David Kaufman (“Kaufman”). NVVF has operated nationwide since 1992 and began soliciting in New York in approximately 2008. By 2014, NVVF was collecting nearly $9 million nationwide from its fundraising campaigns, soliciting small dollar donations from the public through direct mail and phone calls — purportedly to help Vietnam Veterans. Nearly all of the money raised through its direct mail campaigns was instead used to pay its fundraisers. For example, in 2014, $7.7 million of the $8.6 million raised was used to pay NVVF’s fundraisers. The fraction that actually made it to NVVF was further reduced by a pattern of abuse, mismanagement and misspending by NVVF’s former President, Burch. Continue reading “New York Attorney General Announces Settlements With Vietnam Veteran’s Charity And Its Founder For Squandering Millions In Donations”
KUTV: Utah gun safety organization admits to breaking consumer, charity laws
(KUTV) As Get Gephardt first reported in April, John Adrian said he felt ripped off. The AR-15 assault rifle he ordered from the Utah Gun Safety Council was not the gun that had been advertised, it took nearly a year to arrive and it could not be written off as a charitable donation as had been promised. Continue reading “KUTV: Utah gun safety organization admits to breaking consumer, charity laws”
FTC, States Settle Claims Against Sham Charities; Sham Charities to Dissolve, and President Banned From Charitable Activities
Two nationwide organizations purporting to be cancer charities will be dissolved, and their president is banned from profiting from any charity fundraising in the future, under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Cancer Fund of America Inc. (CFA), Cancer Support Services Inc. (CSS) and their leader, James Reynolds, Sr., agreed to settle charges that CFA and CSS claimed to help cancer patients, but instead, spent the overwhelming majority of donations on their operators, families and friends, and fundraisers. Continue reading “FTC, States Settle Claims Against Sham Charities; Sham Charities to Dissolve, and President Banned From Charitable Activities”
Utah Fundraiser to pay $90K and Cease Michigan Solicitations Through 2020 for Fundraising Misrepresentations
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced a settlement was reached with Utah fundraiser Corporations for Character, resolving claims they violated the Public Safety Solicitation Act. Corporations for Character has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $90,000 to the State of Michigan and to withdraw from fundraising in Michigan for four years. Continue reading “Utah Fundraiser to pay $90K and Cease Michigan Solicitations Through 2020 for Fundraising Misrepresentations”
Ohio: Enforcement Actions Protect Donors and Charities
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Charitable Law Section investigates charitable fraud and pursues enforcement action to help recover misused charitable funds, stop fraudulent activity, and protect donors and charities. Continue reading “Ohio: Enforcement Actions Protect Donors and Charities”