Lawmakers: Vets charity must be accountable

Lawmakers: Vets charity must be accountable
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 17, 2008 21:33:24 EST

Retired Army Gen. Tommy Franks was paid $100,000 — out of donations made to wounded veterans — for allowing his name to be used on fundraising appeals by a charity that has come under increasing scrutiny for the way it handles its money.

Lawmakers questioned the ethics of the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes Foundation not only for using donors’ money to pay Franks, but for failing to disclose to potential donors who received the mail solicitations that Franks was paid for his endorsement.

Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Franks has now disassociated himself from the Coalition and asked that his name not be used in connection with the solicitations.

Franks’ endorsement helped the charity raise “millions of dollars more” than it otherwise could have, said Roger Chapin, president of Help Hospitalized Veterans Inc., and the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes Foundation. At a Jan. 17 hearing, Chapin said he is also paying retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Arthur (Chip) Diehl III $5,000 a month for similar assistance.

Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, noted that other lawmakers had implied that Franks and Diehl had sold their integrity by working with Chapin.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/military_charity_080117w/