Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Bobby Thompson, fron man for the Navy Veterans' Association
The U.S. Navy Veterans Association, a national non-profit that claims to be dedicated to helping naval veterans, has come under suspicion as a result of a six-month investigation by the St. Petersburg Times. Unable to get answers from the organization about how it spends its money, the newspaper examined the non-profit’s tax records and its leadership. But the search produced more questions than answers.
IRS records reportedly showed that the group spent $6,703 for groceries and medical care for veterans since 2002, while raising millions of dollars through donations. The organization claims to have more than 66,000 members, with 41 state chapters—but many of its official addresses have proven to be nothing more than post office boxes.
The newspaper also reported that the group’s directors and officers are “all but invisible.” Little information could be found about its CEO, Jack L. Nimitz, “or 83 other executives and state officers whose names appear on tax forms filed with the IRS. The newspaper searched directories and online public records databases, including property records, court records and voter registration records,” wrote the St. Petersburg Times.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Multimillion-Dollar Nonprofit Charity for Navy Veterans Steeped in Secrecy (by Jeff Testerman and John Martin, St. Petersburg Times)
Charity Leader's Sideline: Politics (by Jeff Testerman and John Martin, St. Petersburg Times)
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