Charity begins at Meeks' home--Little accounting for $1.2M

A nonprofit founded by Rep. Gregory Meeks took in more than $1.2 million in taxpayer money over the past 15 years with little to no oversight as to how it was spent, The Post has found.

Meeks funneled pork-barrel money to the Rockaway Peninsula Civic Association as a state assemblyman in the 1990s. He incorporated the charity, which was once based at his parents' house in Far Rockaway, in 1983. It is the second suspicious nonprofit linked to the Queens Democrat.

The organization had grand plans for a comprehensive after-school program for "at risk" students, similar to the successful Jackie Robinson program in Brooklyn. But its David N. Dinkins Center for Physical Culture fizzled by 2005, leaving only a skeleton program for seniors.

Meeks refused to answer any questions about the charity Friday. Dinkins, whose name was used for the program but who does not appear to have been involved, did not return calls.

Meeks was subpoenaed in April as part of a federal probe into the New Direction Local Development Corp., a Queens charity he founded with state Sen. Malcolm Smith. Smith is also under investigation.

The Post revealed that the group took in hundreds of thousands of dollars, including taxpayer money, with little accountability for its spending. A Hurricane Katrina relief fund set up by the charity spent only a fraction of its collected money for victims.

Meeks was subpoenaed in April as part of a federal probe into the New Direction Local Development Corp, a Queens charity he founded with state Sen. Malcolm Smith......who is also under investigation.

The NY Daily News reported early April that the grand jury was looking into the activities of Democrat Queens politicians Gregory Meeks, ex-Cong Floyd Flake, NY Senate President Malcolm Smith, and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. According to the paper, “the feds are investigating whether the Queens pols used a web of nonprofit "charities" to fraudulently benefit themselves, their families and their friends.”

Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-NY, makes a statement before departing for Switzerland.

"This is racism---pure and simple. I am totally
innocent. As a compassionate and tolerant Democrat,
I was just helping out a distinguished foreign dignitary."

"See, I got this email from Nigerian Gen Kachinga Cheatchusuckah.
The General had a problem."

" Now, as soon as Gen Cheatchusuckah transfers Idi Amin's
secret Ugandan gold reserves from a Swiss bank vault to a
refrigerated truck I leased............."

Sen Malcolm Smith told his limo driver: "I don't give a damn where you park it. "

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.