Federal/State Actions – Page 2 – National Association of State Charity Officials

March 5, 2020March 9, 2020

Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring Shuts Down Deceptive Homeless Veterans Charity

Settlement involves Center for American Homeless Veterans, Inc., Circle of Friends for American Veterans and Brian Arthur Hampton, will shut down the organization and $100,000 will be distributed to help homeless veterans; the charity allegedly misused more than $13 million that was supposed to go to homeless veterans ~

January 17, 2020January 17, 2020

Attorney General Leads Multistate Settlement with PayPal Charitable Giving Fund

Settlement Will Ensure Donors Have Adequate Information When Making Charitable Donations

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong announced today a multistate agreement with PayPal Charitable Giving Fund, Inc. that will ensure donors receive adequate information and disclosures when making charitable contributions through the company’s online fundraising platform. The settlement concludes a multistate investigation launched in 2017 and co-led by Connecticut and Nebraska.

December 23, 2019December 23, 2019

MINNESOTA – Attorney General Ellison permanently bans two charities that deceived Minnesotans about supporting families of fallen police officers

Obtains settlement that permanently bans two related charities from soliciting in Minnesota, requires one of them to pay back nearly $300K solicited from Minnesotans

December 20, 2019 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison today announced that Ramsey County District Court has approved two settlement agreements that permanently ban American Federation of Police and Concerned Citizens, Inc. (“AFPCC”), and related charity National Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc. (“NACOP”), from soliciting charitable contributions in Minnesota. AFPCC is also required to pay restitution in the amount of $298,637 — constituting every dollar that Minnesotans donated to it in the last six years. AFPCC and NACOP’s primary officers and directors also agreed to permanently refrain from doing business in Minnesota.

November 25, 2019December 30, 2019

WASHINGTON – Judge Rules For-Profit Value Village Violated the Law, Misled Washingtonians

Judge found Value Village’s advertising deceptively portrayed the company as a charity

SEATTLE — As a result of Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s consumer protection lawsuit, a King County Superior Court judge today ruled that from 2009 to today, for-profit Value Village deceived consumers into believing the company is a nonprofit or a charity and that purchases benefited charities, when they do not. The judge ruled that Value Village knew or should have known its advertising was deceptive.

King County Superior Court Judge Roger Rogoff ruled that Value Village’s advertising misled consumers into thinking that it was a charity or nonprofit. In reality, Value Village is a for-profit business that brings in $1 billion in revenue annually. Importantly, Value Village knew that its advertising had the capacity to deceive consumers based on marketing studies that it commissioned and testimony from its former chief executive officer.

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019

NEW YORK – AG James Secures Court Order Against Donald J. Trump, Trump Children, And Trump Foundation

AG James Achieves Restitution of Misused Funds, Dissolution of Foundation, and Restrictions on Charitable Activity After Donald J. Trump’s Abuse of the Trump Foundation

Trump to Pay $2 Million in Damages for Illegal Activity During 2016 Election

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that the New York Supreme Court ordered Donald J. Trump to pay $2 million in damages for improperly using charitable assets to intervene in the 2016 presidential primaries and further his own political interests. The award is part of Attorney General James’ lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation and its directors — Mr. Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump.