Whistleblowers say human trafficking hotline operator failed to report tips to law enforcement

Just the News ^ | 5/11/25 | Steven Richards

[CFW]

The Polaris Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that administers the National Human Trafficking Hotline, regularly fails to refer tips to law enforcement for investigation, whistleblowers told the Senate Judiciary Committee, confirming an earlier complaint from a bipartisan group of state attorneys general. The Polaris Project in 2023 received $4,831,020 in government grants, according to the charity's IRS filings.

In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, whose agency oversees Polaris' use of ACF funding, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley presented the evidence turned over to Congress by an anonymous employee of Polaris and detailed the allegations.

The whistleblowers' disclosures, Grassley wrote, “appear to confirm the allegations that Polaris is not reporting instances of potential human trafficking to law enforcement.”

Neither Project Polaris nor the Health and Human Services department responded to requests for comment from Just the News.

[snip]

The evidence published by Senator Grassley shows Polaris received a report of a “possible [sex trafficking (ST)] situation” in March 2025. The nonprofit’s staff marked the case “Yes” for the involvement of potential minors and determined the case had “high indicators” of trafficking, according to Grassley's review of the case file. The tip also reported that the alleged victim was worried “[s]he’s going to be physically hurt by the pimp running this company,” and indicated the alleged trafficker forces other women to work for him or her.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the case file shows a Polaris staff member reviewed the report and labeled the file “Work Not Required.” The first whistleblower said this designation means the case was closed, and law enforcement was not notified, Grassley wrote.

[CFW]

Maybe a background check should be done on the employees of the Polaris Project.

Or, is the Polaris Project staffed by DEI hires who cringe at the thought of actually doing their job?

[ComputerGuy]

I’ll bet their officers are well-compensated.

[ClearCase_guy]

I think we’ve seen this before, but I forget the specifics. Basically, the people you call to report the bad guys WERE the bad guys and they would just bury the report, and, perhaps, come after you as a known danger to the operation. I think there was a case like this under Obama — wish I could recall details.

[T.B. Yoits]

That’s aiding and abetting.

[Steely Tom]

I think we’ve seen this before, but I forget the specifics. Basically, the people you call to report the bad guys WERE the bad guys and they would just bury the report, and, perhaps, come after you as a known danger to the operation. I think there was a case like this under Obama — wish I could recall details.

One such case happened with the Cult Awareness Network, which started out to help parents with kids who had become Moonies, or members of the Children of God, but which added Scientology to their list of cults.

When they fell on hard times financially, Scientology bought them and kept the name. They then started using the Cult Awareness Network for recruiting.

[dennisw]

Top Officers of Polaris Project
Based on the most recent available data, the six top officers of Polaris Project are:

Megan Lundstrom – Chief Executive Officer (as of February 2025)

Catherine Chen – (Previous CEO, still listed as Executive Team member in 2023/2024 reports)

Jen Jinks (Jennifer Jinks) – Chief Program Officer / Chief Strategy & Impact Officer

Patrick McIntyre – Chief Development & External Affairs Officer

Michelle Nicholson – Chief Operating Officer / Chief People Officer

Alfonso Wright – Chief Financial Officer

Sources of Government Grants
Polaris Project receives substantial government funding, primarily from:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
For example, Polaris received $3.5 million through competitive funding from HHS/ACF, Grant #90ZV0138-01-00.

In 2023, government grants accounted for $4,993,973, which was 30% of Polaris’s total revenue.

Percentage from Private Donations
Polaris Project’s 2023 revenue breakdown shows the following sources of private donations:

Individual Donations: 11% ($1,807,088)

Private Foundations: 11% ($1,770,500)

Corporate Donations: 10% ($1,666,707)

Total from private (non-governmental) donations:
32% of total revenue comes from private donations (individuals, foundations, and corporations).

[dennisw]

$735,000
Megan Lundstrom, the CEO of Polaris, has a current annual base salary of $735,0005. Before joining Polaris, she was the founding CEO of The Avery Center1.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

My bet is that someone in the Biden Administration instructed them to not report tips.

[Vaduz]

Fails to refer tips to law enforcement for investigation or paid not to OH LOOK money in my lunch kit how did that get here?.

[delchiante]

It takes a village

[blackdog]

At who’s direction to do so?

[redinIllinois]

Thanks for posting this...

[thinden]

just forward the calls to comet pizza or CGI?