Latest news with #financialmismanagement
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Mayo GAA deny claims of financial mismanagement and reveal threats to county board members
Mayo GAA has denied claims of financial mismanagement while revealing An Garda Síochána have been informed of 'threatening and abusive' emails sent to county board officers. Monday night's special county board meeting in Westport was attended by GAA president Jarlath Burns and association director general Tom Ryan. During the meeting Burns condemned what he labelled as 'toxic activity' targeted towards Mayo County Board officers while delegates unanimously passed a motion condemning such abuse and also supported a motion of confidence in current county board officers. Mayo GAA released a statement afterwards saying the meeting had been called to 'address a very serious adult safety issue that is facing the Co Board, due to an ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation that has been targeted at its officers over the past number of years.' READ MORE The statement continued: 'At the special meeting of more than 100 club delegates, Mayo Co Board outlined the nature of the threatening and abusive email correspondence that its officers continue to receive. Given the seriousness of the situation, a decision was taken to inform club delegates of the nature of the campaign against Mayo GAA, which constitutes an adult safety issue for all Co Board officers. 'The Co Board confirmed it has reported the matter to An Garda Síochána and that it intends to seek legal advice on the matter in the next week. 'Mayo GAA delegates unanimously passed two special motions, which were proposed from the floor. The first was a motion to unequivocally condemn the campaign of abuse and intimidation that is continues to be targeted at Mayo Co Board officers. 'The second motion was a unanimous vote of confidence in the current officers of Mayo Co Board to continue their work and seek to bring an end to this campaign.' The presence of both Burns and Ryan highlighted the seriousness of the situation. Burns said: 'Mayo is a proud county with incredible GAA pedigree. It's a county that is respected by the entire GAA family across the island of Ireland. But without unity there can be no progression. 'The GAA has a duty of care to the officers in every club and county, not only under adult safeguarding policies, but also to promote and value the selfless work of the volunteers that make our Association what it is. 'I've been very concerned about the threats, intimidation and toxic activity that has been directed against the officers of Mayo Co Board, which is bound to have a negative impact on all aspects of the administration of Mayo GAA. It's now time for this to stop.' Financial issues were also discussed during the gathering, including the board's explanation on details of the repayment rate for Mayo GAA in relation to a €5 million loan taken on by Croke Park in 2015. Mayo GAA stated the meeting had also been called to address 'a series of false allegations and inaccurate claims that have been published online and on social platforms over recent weeks relating to the financial management of Mayo GAA, and the wider GAA organisation.' Ryan made a presentation to the meeting, outlining how Croke Park had acquired the €5 million bank loan relating to Mayo GAA. Mayo GAA added: 'Under the terms of the agreement, the GAA secured a €1 million reduction in the capital value of Mayo GAA's loan, extended the repayment schedule to 29 years and reduced the loan interest rate from 3.2% to 1.9%. 'This arrangement helped reduce Mayo GAA's monthly loan repayments from more than €46,000 per month down to €34,000 per month – a change that resulted in a cash saving of €150,000 per annum for Mayo GAA. This renegotiated loan arrangement greatly improved the Co Boards cashflows, and helped direct more funding towards the preparation of County Teams each year. 'Tom Ryan outlined to club delegates how the loan arrangement has been reorganised further in recent years, with the loan term extended out to 32 years and repayments reduced further to €25,000 per month. In total, the new loan arrangement has saved Mayo GAA over €100,000 in loan repayments to date. 'The figures outlining these reductions in loan repayments and the amortisation of the loan has been fully disclosed in the accounts of Mayo GAA for the past several years.' The meeting took place just hours after Kevin McStay stepped away from managing the Mayo senior football team indefinitely due to health reasons.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
San Francisco launches review of parks nonprofit accused of misusing millions in funds
San Francisco city officials announced Friday that a "public integrity assessment" will be conducted on the San Francisco Parks Alliance, amid reports that the nonprofit improperly spent millions of dollars. City Attorney David Chiu said he and City Controller Greg Wagner will conduct the joint review of the group's finances and its agreements with city departments. The review was requested by Mayor Daniel Lurie's office, the city's Recreation and Park Department and the Port of San Francisco. "The public reports of financial mismanagement at the Parks Alliance are extremely troubling," Chiu said in a statement. "Any contributions meant to benefit the public should be used for that purpose." Wagner added, "The serious allegations we're hearing about Parks Alliance need to be addressed with urgency." According to Chiu, the Parks Alliance raises money for minor civic improvements and large-scale construction on public spaces. The group has agreements with the Recreation and Park Department along with the Port for these purposes. Chiu said many of the funds raised under the agreements can only be used for city-approved projects and cannot be used for Parks Alliance staff salaries or other unrelated administrative overhead. A recent report by the San Francisco Chronicle found the group used at least $3.8 million earmarked for public projects to instead cover its own operating costs. The group's former CEO and CFO have departed. Donors along with families who rely on city parks have expressed outrage over the allegations. One of the largest donors, the Baker Street Foundation, told CBS News Bay Area that it contributed $3 million to the organization to build two playgrounds at Crane Cove Park in the city's Dogpatch several years ago, but the projects have not materialized. Nicola Miner, part of the Baker Street Foundation board, said she learned only recently that $1.9 million of the donated funds had reportedly been spent on general expenditures. "I wanted a park here, that was what our money was for. The money was not for general operating expenses. And so, I just feel a real sense of betrayal," she told CBS News Bay Area. Miner said the greatest loss is felt by local families who had counted on the playgrounds for their children. "The fact that they took money away from families, I'm speechless. I actually can't even believe somebody would do that," she added. In the meantime, Lurie has instructed city departments to pause any outstanding grants to the Parks Alliance and has directed city departments not to enter into any new partnership agreements with the group.
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Washington Post
Former Kennedy Center head denies Richard Grenell's accusation of ‘fraud'
Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell accused the art institution's previous leadership of financial mismanagement and 'fraud' during a speech at the White House on Monday evening. 'Our great new CFO went through the '24 and '25 budgets of the Kennedy Center and found $26 million in phantom revenue, fake revenue,' Grenell said. 'It's criminal. We're going to refer this to the U.S. attorney's office.'
BBC News
20-05-2025
- BBC News
Kids Company: Watchdog's report 'extremely unfair' on charity
Part of a damning watchdog report into a collapsed children's charity was "extremely unfair", a High Court judge has 2022, the Charity Commission published a report on the leadership of Kids Company, following its 2015 liquidation after financial organisation supported vulnerable children and young people in London and Bristol and previously attracted celebrity backers including former Prime Minister Lord David Cameron and a judgement on Tuesday, Mr Justice Sheldon said two paragraphs in the report were "irrational" but dismissed the rest of the challenge. "The commission's observations… which give rise to the innuendo that the payments to the 'top 25' may not have been justified – are unbalanced and one-sided," Mr Justice Sheldon said."This is extremely unfair to the charity and the trustees."The fact that the report contains errors, and even a small number of irrational findings or observations, does not mean that the overall document is irrational," he commission's report said the charity had operated a "high-risk business model" and that there was mismanagement in relation to late Justice Sheldon concluded: "I do not consider that the report, looked at as a whole, was irrational."The fact that the report contains errors, and even a small number of irrational findings or observations, does not mean that the overall document is irrational." The charity's former clinical director Michael-Karim Kerman the legal challenge initiated by former chief executive, Camila Batmanghelidjh, before her death in early 2024, and he said the ruling "vindicated" the the judgment, Mr Kerman said: "Since Kids Company's traumatic closure in August 2015 there has been a concerted attempt to denounce unfairly the charity and all who were touched by it."The iron path to justice has been an arduous struggle for the supporters of Kids Company, in their relentless struggle to imprint the truth." 'Made important errors' In a statement following the ruling, the Charity Commission said the judgment upheld the finding of mismanagement of the charity's finances and rejected the claim of predetermination."While the court has dismissed the challenge on all but two grounds, and is clear that the overall findings of our report were not irrational," a spokesperson said."We acknowledge its finding that we made important errors in relation to two paragraphs of the report and will act to remedy this, the statement concluded." What was Kids Company? Founded in 1996 in south London, it provided practical, emotional and educational support to up to 36,000 deprived and vulnerable inner-city children and young addition to direct services, it ran campaigns. It funded scientific research, external and legal action against public policy. And Kids Company grew rapidly - from £2.4m of annual expenditure in 2004 to £23m in it closed, Kids Company said 11 centres in London and Bristol and an outreach project in Liverpool had shut their doors, and its work with more than 40 schools had ended.
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council accused of attempts to intimidate members
The executives of a New South Wales Aboriginal land council have denied attempting to silence members who have made allegations of nepotism and financial mismanagement. Members of the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council (OLALC) in the state's Central West have made claims of a lack of transparency and conflicts of interest within the organisation. In April more than 40 people signed a petition of no confidence in executive staff and called for an investigation. OLALC has subsequently sent letters to several members, accusing them of misconduct and banning them from attending meetings. OLALC said the two matters were unrelated and that the letters were sent to a very small number of members in response to specific incidents after staff reported being bullied, threatened or abused. The no confidence petition was organised by OLALC member Jason French, who received correspondence last week accusing him of verbally abusing an employee in 2022 and barring him from attending meetings. "It was an incident regarding [mail] we kept receiving at my dad's address years after he had passed," he said. "Nearly three years later it all of a sudden pops up a couple of weeks after they received this petition? " They just want to silence people that speak up and question their actions and their motives behind what they're doing within the land council. " OLALC's chair and chief executive have not responded to the community petition. ( ABC Central West: Micaela Hambrett ) In March more than 30 OLALC members walked out of the annual general meeting after representatives for the chair and chief executive refused to answer questions. The petition outlines a "lack of transparency and accountability" regarding agreements between Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS) and the land council, which share board members and executive staff. Members expressed growing concerns about "potential conflicts of interest and nepotism within the leadership structure" and called for the appointment of a forensic auditor to investigate financial activity within OLALC over the past seven years. The petition was sent to OLALC's board and the Office of the Registrar, which administers land councils. It requested the OLALC board call an extraordinary meeting to vote on the motion. Les Powell says he received a threatening letter after signing the petition. ( ABC Central West: Micaela Hambrett ) 'An attack to shut us up' The ABC has seen letters sent to four members banning them from attending future meetings, though the correspondence states that access to the land council office can be restored if the members undertake appropriate training and commit to stop behaving in an aggressive way towards staff. Les Powell received a letter accusing him of being "demanding and intimidating" to two staff, which he said was "devastating". "I refute those accusations," he said. "It's obviously an attack to shut us up." Neil Ingram Sr also signed the no confidence motion. "OLALC are not in line with Wiradjuri cultural protocols or the Land Rights Act," the elder said. Neil Ingram Sr says land councils belong to the members. ( ABC Central West: Micaela Hambrett ) Mr Ingram Sr received a letter accusing him of being "loud, abusive and angry" to an employee, which he denied. He said the letters followed a pattern of intimidation towards OLALC members who spoke out. "I got the letter from the [legal] officer who is exercising his power, control and authority over me," Mr Ingram Sr said. " Our members are not allowed to ask questions, which to me is very sad and very dangerous. " Before Mr Ingram Sr signed the petition he had filed formal complaints with the Office of the Registrar and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council. In one complaint he alleged the OLALC chair threatened to "uppercut" him at a member's meeting. Mr Ingram said he had not received any response to his complaints. The letters state that access to the Land Council office can be restored if members undertake appropriate training and make a commitment to stop behaving aggressively to staff. Family ties 'irrelevant', chair says OLALC chair Jamie Newman said the land council had a responsibility to protect its staff and denied the letters were intended to intimidate members. "The letters were sent to a very small number of members in response to specific incidents where staff reported being bullied, threatened or abused," he said. " Everyone has the right to a safe workplace. " The staff members who alleged they were bullied were the children of the chief executive and the legal officer. Mr Newman, whose niece is on the OLALC board and whose son stepped down as vice-chair in February, denied claims of nepotism and conflicts of interest. Jamie Newman says people who have issues with the council's governance should put their hand up for election. ( ABC News: Hugh Hogan ) "The land council board is democratically elected by its members and where they work or who they are related to is irrelevant," he said. "If members are dissatisfied with the composition of the board we encourage them to nominate for election." Mr Newman is also the chief executive of the Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS). He said only three board members worked at the OAMS and that "overlap" between the services was inevitable. An OLALC extraordinary meeting was called on April 26 to be held on May 15, which met the requirement of 21 days' notice under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. The public notice did not refer to the vote of no confidence and said the meeting would "solely" provide members with information about an "independent governance review", which it claimed was an initiative of the board. In a statement the Office of the Registrar's principle legal advisor told the ABC that the registrar was satisfied the OLALC board was addressing members' concerns. The NSW Aboriginal Land Council declined to comment for this story.
