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Top Obama Fundraiser Confesses To Misusing $600,000 in Federal Grants Meant for Poor Youth
Washington Free Beacon ^ | January 19, 2023 | Josh Christenson

Posted on 01/20/2023 5:54:08 AM PST by george76

Howard Slingerland raised nearly $750,000 for Obama from 2007 to 2012

...

A top fundraiser for former president Barack Obama confessed to misusing more than $600,000 in federal grant money and embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from a nonprofit dedicated to helping impoverished youth, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Howard Dixon Slingerland, who raised nearly $750,000 for both of Obama’s presidential campaigns, illegally took federal grant money to pay off more than $600,000 of his organization’s payroll and credit card debts, which included personal expenses. The $1.5 million grant was meant to provide career advancement for young adults who had been through the criminal justice system, court filings show.

Slingerland also admitted to underreporting around $450,000 in income and owing nearly $150,000 in back taxes. He also admitted to embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from his nonprofit to pay his property taxes and fund personal tutors for his children and an expensive dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Slingerland pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of funds and one count of lying on his tax returns. He faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in federal prison.

The disgraced nonprofit leader is no stranger to abuse of funds charges. In 2014, Slingerland’s nonprofit, the Youth Policy Institute, failed to disclose $140,000 it spent lobbying Obama’s White House and federal agencies for grant funding—potentially violating federal lobbying laws.

An attorney for Slingerland said he "takes responsibility for the mistakes he made," citing his misapplication of funds and failures to report personal income.

From 2015 to 2019, Slingerland used more than $14,000 from his nonprofit to pay down property taxes, more than $10,000 on tutoring his children, more than $6,000 for an upscale family dinner at Momofuku Ko in New York City, and nearly $2,000 on a new personal computer.

In addition to raiding his nonprofit to fund personal expenses, including his wife’s pension and lavish home decor, Slingerland helped line the pockets of Democratic candidates like former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti (D.). He hosted multiple fundraisers for Garcetti’s 2013 campaign and contributed $5,000 to Democrats in the 2018 midterms, Fox News reported.

Slingerland ran his Los Angeles-based nonprofit from 1996 until 2019, when he was accused of misusing funds and fired. A bankruptcy filing alleged the former CEO had misspent $1.7 million in company money. Slingerland called the filing "extremely misleading" and said only "a handful of expenditures were mistakenly made," the Associated Press reported.

The Youth Policy Institute was founded to fight poverty and empower poor youth through education and job training initiatives, according to court filings. Slingerland pocketed as much as $400,000 annually during his final years at the nonprofit.

Before his sentencing hearing, Slingerland must complete a financial disclosure form and pay back at least $821,958.56 in restitution to the federal government.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: District of Columbia; US: New York
KEYWORDS: barack; corruption; embezzling; garcetti; losangeles; obama; slingerland

1 posted on 01/20/2023 5:54:08 AM PST by george76
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To: george76

Just the tip of the iceberg. Federal Government needs to get out of the grant, subsidy, etc. business all together.


2 posted on 01/20/2023 6:00:09 AM PST by Rlsau1
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To: george76
Why did DOJ decide to after Slingerland? There is so much unequal application of the law that they could have let him skate. Did he outlive his usefulness? Did DOJ suddenly decide they need a "win" to sell to the rubes in the face of horrendous corruption? Did he piss off the wrong people? There's always a real story hidden behind the public story. What aren't we being told?

Curiously, it's hard to find a picture of this guy.


3 posted on 01/20/2023 6:04:25 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (Once you get people to believe that a plural pronoun is singular, they'll believe anything - nicollo)
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To: george76

The $600k Obozo grifted to his bank account is just part of the $14million he grifted while in office on his second term.


4 posted on 01/20/2023 6:31:26 AM PST by chopperk
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To: george76

“misusing,” as in stealing


5 posted on 01/20/2023 6:53:02 AM PST by babble-on
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To: chopperk

The Obamas did become super rich overnight


6 posted on 01/20/2023 6:57:59 AM PST by butlerweave
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To: george76

I hope and pray that this reprobate gets some serious prison time.


7 posted on 01/20/2023 7:02:48 AM PST by Howie66 (Let's Go Brandon!!)
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To: Rlsau1

It is all a grift.


8 posted on 01/20/2023 7:04:23 AM PST by Tommy Revolts
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To: george76

A grifter associated with Obama. How ordinary


9 posted on 01/20/2023 7:06:41 AM PST by AppyPappy (Biden told Al Roker "America is back". Unfortunately, he meant back to the 1970's)
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To: george76

more than $6,000 for an upscale family dinner at Momofuku Ko in New York City,

https://ko.momofuku.com/


10 posted on 01/20/2023 7:06:52 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: george76

He’s a democrat why would anyone expect differently.


11 posted on 01/20/2023 8:15:11 AM PST by Vaduz (LAWYERS )
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To: george76

Financial penalties of this nature should be pooled into a national fund to be distributed to WORKING, TAXPAYING CITIZENS annually, as reparations for the theft (by taxation) from the public.


12 posted on 01/20/2023 8:23:22 AM PST by RouxStir (No Peein' in the Gene Pool )
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To: RouxStir
Slingerland must complete a financial disclosure form and pay back at least $821,958.56 in restitution to the federal government.

Pay back taxpayers.

13 posted on 01/20/2023 8:25:08 AM PST by 1Old Pro
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To: george76

Not a smidgen of corruption.


14 posted on 01/20/2023 9:26:18 AM PST by unlearner (RIP America. July 4, 1776 - December 13, 2022. )
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To: george76

Per the Old Testament, we must purge the evil from among us. This gent is in need of being permanently purged. He and his ilk.


15 posted on 01/20/2023 9:40:05 AM PST by Tudorfly (All things are possible within the will of God.)
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To: Rlsau1

Tens of Billions seems to have gone to funding Dem activist groups - in essence money laundering back into campaigns. Until this is turned off, they will always be able to outspend, both off and an the books.


16 posted on 01/21/2023 11:34:21 AM PST by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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