A leftist activist who pushed for defunding the police has been accused of spending charitable donations to pay for “lavish vacations” and designer clothing, according to a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued Brandon Anderson and his police “accountability” organization Raheem AI on Monday, alleging violations of the district’s laws governing non-profits. Schwalb said that Anderson used donations given to the charity to go on expensive vacations to Mexico and to buy high-end clothing.
“Brandon Anderson misused charitable donations to fund lavish vacations and shopping sprees, and the Raheem AI Board of Directors let him get away with it,” Schwalb said. “My office will not allow people to masquerade behind noble causes while violating the law, cheating taxpayers, or stealing from their workers.”
According to the lawsuit, Anderson used $75,000 of the non-profit’s funds for personal use, including $40,000 on a luxury vacation rental service, $10,000 on hotels and Airbnbs, $10,000 on designer clothing, and $5,000 on emergency veterinary services. The travel costs reportedly included a stay at a Cancun resort and he buying clothes from luxury retailers like Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Bloomingdales, Farfetch, and Saks.
Schwalb said that Anderson had “unrestricted control” of the organization’s money because there had been no treasurer since 2020 and its board had implemented no oversight precautions.
The lawsuit seeks to dissolve the organization and make Anderson repay funds used for vacations and clothing. It also accuses Anderson of not paying the deputy director of the organization for her work.
“Not only did their financial abuses violate fundamental principles of nonprofit governance, but Anderson and Raheem AI failed to pay their employee the wages they had earned,” Schwalb said.
CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Anderson, who launched his organization in 2017, has promoted “building a world without police” and has lectured on why “defunding the police is an important next step for the country.” The activist wanted to replace 911 calls, telling Vice in 2022 that he wanted to build “a consortium of care that meets the needs of communities during their crises and in conflict.”
His claims about starting the non-profit to honor a fiancé killed by the police have been scrutinized by media outlets like the New York Times, which reported that “no homicide in the entire state of Oklahoma” matched the incident described by Anderson.
The nation’s capitol has long been plagued by violent crime even as city leaders have sought to decrease penalties for crimes like carjacking. Efforts to loosen up the city’s criminal code failed last year after the Republican-controlled House blocked the proposal.
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A leftist activist who pushed for defunding the police has been accused of spending charitable donations to pay for “lavish vacations” and designer clothing, according to a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued Brandon Anderson and his police “accountability” organization Raheem AI on Monday, alleging violations of the district’s laws governing non-profits. Schwalb said that Anderson used donations given to the charity to go on expensive vacations to Mexico and to buy high-end clothing.
“Brandon Anderson misused charitable donations to fund lavish vacations and shopping sprees, and the Raheem AI Board of Directors let him get away with it,” Schwalb said. “My office will not allow people to masquerade behind noble causes while violating the law, cheating taxpayers, or stealing from their workers.”
According to the lawsuit, Anderson used $75,000 of the non-profit’s funds for personal use, including $40,000 on a luxury vacation rental service, $10,000 on hotels and Airbnbs, $10,000 on designer clothing, and $5,000 on emergency veterinary services. The travel costs reportedly included a stay at a Cancun resort and he buying clothes from luxury retailers like Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Bloomingdales, Farfetch, and Saks.
Schwalb said that Anderson had “unrestricted control” of the organization’s money because there had been no treasurer since 2020 and its board had implemented no oversight precautions.
The lawsuit seeks to dissolve the organization and make Anderson repay funds used for vacations and clothing. It also accuses Anderson of not paying the deputy director of the organization for her work.
“Not only did their financial abuses violate fundamental principles of nonprofit governance, but Anderson and Raheem AI failed to pay their employee the wages they had earned,” Schwalb said.
CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Anderson, who launched his organization in 2017, has promoted “building a world without police” and has lectured on why “defunding the police is an important next step for the country.” The activist wanted to replace 911 calls, telling Vice in 2022 that he wanted to build “a consortium of care that meets the needs of communities during their crises and in conflict.”
His claims about starting the non-profit to honor a fiancé killed by the police have been scrutinized by media outlets like the New York Times, which reported that “no homicide in the entire state of Oklahoma” matched the incident described by Anderson.
The nation’s capitol has long been plagued by violent crime even as city leaders have sought to decrease penalties for crimes like carjacking. Efforts to loosen up the city’s criminal code failed last year after the Republican-controlled House blocked the proposal.
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