Posted on 11/08/2001 2:34:00 PM PST by classygreeneyedblonde
A charity fund established to help victims of the Sept. 11th attacks made a grant of $171,000 to a group defending eight men held in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
A grant of $171,000 from September 11th Fund, which is affiliated with United Way, was given to Legal Aid Society, a group aiding in the legal defense of eight suspects detained in Brooklyn, N.Y., as a result of the government's investigation into the terrorist attacks
"Instead of helping out the victims, they're actually helping out potentially suspected terrorists," said Dan Rene of the legal watchdog group National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC).
With all the questions about the fund-raising on behalf of victims, this is a very shocking development," said Rene. "I think a lot of people will be very outraged
One official with September 11th Fund refused to comment, and other officials did not immediately respond to inquiries.
In its Oct. 3rd announcement, September 11 Fund stated the grant to the Legal Aid Society would be used to "provide immediate direct legal services to the thousands of lower-income individuals working in or near the World Trade Center (including cleaning staff, waiters, messengers, vendors, etc.) who were directly affected by the terrorist attack."
According to Rene, September 11th Fund announced on Oct. 3 the $171,000 grant to Legal Aid Society was ostensibly to "provide emergency civil legal assistance to low-income attack victims."
Ken Boehm and Peter Flaherty of the NLPC wrote in a letter Thursday to September 11th Fund, "At a time when the public is questioning why so few of the victims have received aid they desperately need from groups that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars, it is disturbing that the Legal Aid Society rushed to provide free civil help to the detainees."
The letter continued, "We believe the public will be outraged, and justifiably so, to learn that funds from the September 11th Fund are going to support a group which is apparently providing civil legal help to those jailed on violations of immigration law in the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks."
The government has not released the identity of the eight men detained on immigration violations. The men are in solitary confinement in the Special Housing Unit of Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn
United Way and Hollywood celebrities have come under fire in recent days because of questions regarding the financial distribution of September 11th Fund. Actress Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who participated in fund-raising efforts, have previously called for a greater accounting of where the money has gone.
TO: Joshua Gotbaum
Executive Director
September 11th Fund
United Way of New York City
Dear Mr. Gotbaum,
I just finised reading Marc Morano's article on
CNSNews.com: "SEPTEMBER 11 CHARITY GAVE MONEY TO
GROUP DEFENDING TERROR SUSPECTS."
If this article is correct, I am absolutely disgusted,
disappointed, and downright appalled.
If this article is correct, please rectify the situation ASAP. It's
the right thing to do. Don't you agree?
Funding the defense of terrorists is very unAmerican,
unwelcome and uncalled for.
Cindy *****(Deleted for public post)
USA
Sec. 2385. Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof -
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms ''organizes'' and ''organize'', with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
San Francisco, Saturday, November 10, Fairmont Hotel, 6 P.M. -
"Night of Heroes" to benefit the September 11th Fund and the Say Hey Foundation.
Master of Ceremonies Lon Simmons, with special guests Willie Mays, Bill Clinton, Mayor Willie Brown,
Rob Schneider and Sharon Stone. Tickets $600. 650-327-6297.
Are there any FReepers willing to pass out fliers with the News Max article and the info Alamo-Girl found?
And, BTW...Say Hey! Say Ho! Bill Clinton is no herooo!
This is why I never donate to charity. Or to anything, for that matter, besides local church stuff...
Ditto. My WTC contributions went thru my church.
Mrs Kus
Here is the reply I received from my letter to the United Way. (See Post#42 to read the original letter). This response is from Ruby Falk at RFaulk@uwnyc.org. This message was posted to my e-mail box on 11-13-01; 1:26 p.m.
####
Cindy,
The claim that The September 11th Fund grant to the Legal Aid Society - to help victims of the tragedy - is instead being used to defend those accused of perpetrating the crime is completely false. Every September 11th Fund grant is explicitly restricted to helping the victims, their families and affected communities. Furthermore, the Legal Aid Society is itself not defending anyone accused of that crime, even with other funds.
In addition, the Legal Aid Society informs us that they have provided no legal representation to any person where the government has advised them that the person has been charged, or is under investigation in the disaster. If they were to be so advised, they would withdraw from the case.
The September 11th Fund made a grant of $171,000 to The Legal Aid Society for the express purpose of providing emergency civil legal assistance to lower income individuals working in or near the World Trade Center (cleaning staff, waiters, messengers, vendors, etc.) who were injured, or the families of those who were lost. Others were left unemployed or lost their businesses. Legal assistance is for issues such as access to bank accounts, death benefits, health insurance, custody, guardianship, and small business recovery.
The September 11th Fund issued a press release to national media informing them of the Legal Aid Society's official position. We apologize for the alarm.
Thank you,
Ruby Faulk
United Way of New York City
> -----Original Message-----
> From:[address deleted for public posting]
> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 3:26 PM
> To: feedback@uwnyc.org
> Subject: re: Funds Distribution
> > TO: Joshua Gotbaum
> Executive Director
> September 11th Fund
> United Way of New York City
> > > Dear Mr. Gotbaum,
> > I just finised reading Marc Morano's article on CNSNews.com: "SEPTEMBER 11 CHARITY GAVE MONEY TO GROUP DEFENDING TERROR SUSPECTS."
>> If this article is correct, I am absolutely disgusted, disappointed, and downright appalled.
> > If this article is correct, please rectify the situation ASAP. It's the right thing to do. Don't you agree?
> > Funding the defense of terrorists is very unAmerican, unwelcome and uncalled for.
> > Cindy (name deleted for public posting) USA
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