California AG Sues Veterans Aid Charity

In Help Hospitalized Veterans Charity Accused of Diverting Donations, the Los Angeles Times reports that California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has sued a Riverside County charity supporting programs for military veterans and active-duty personnel. The organization, Help Hospitalized Veterans, has allegedly expended funds for excessive salaries and pensions and engaged in other inappropriate conflict-of-interest transactions. The AG’s lawsuit requests the recovery of $4.3 million of the charity’s assets and removal of several officers and board members. The story further states that administrative inefficiency has previously been a concern of critics of the charity:

In 2011, the tax-exempt group reported revenue of $45 million, including $30 million in cash donations. But the watchdog group CharityWatch says only 35% went to programs for military personnel, compared with the 65% that many similar groups report.

The Times states that the charity’s longtime president, now-retired Roger Chapin, was unavailable for comment.

JRB