The past few years, Oklahoma-headquartered nonprofit Feed the Children might not have been doing such a great job of keeping its eye on actually feeding the children.
The internationally known nonprofit that has fought to end childhood hunger since 1979 is under investigation by the state attorney general’s office and Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, NewsOK.com reported.
Former U.S. congressman, University of Oklahoma star quarterback and president and CEO of Feed the Children J.C. Watts left the nonprofit in November after sending a Sept. 27 letter detailing some concerns he noticed during his tenure.
The Oklahoman obtained Watts’ letter.One of the biggest issues concerned $2.3 million Watts alleged was paid to “Christian bands, artist managers, a Christian comedian and a husband-and-wife Christian marriage therapist team” since January 2013.
Watts believed the funds were misused in a plan to raise funds to attract child sponsors during these performances, NewsOK.com reported. Only one act fulfilled its contract, and “at least six groups performed zero dates,” Watts wrote.
Other problems involved disorganization and a questionably high salary for the nonprofit’s CEO, who also was president of the for-profit trucking company and main Feed the Children carrier.
NewsOK.com reported that Watts contacted the attorney general’s office after he advised the nonprofit’s board to and, like teenagers who can’t seem to find the time to clean their rooms, they just didn’t.
Feed the Children’s future and the outcome of the investigation remain uncertain.
“There are a number of things that could happen,” Prater told NewsOK.com, “all the way from determining that no wrongdoing’s occurred to criminal charges, potential civil injunctions or civil lawsuits.”
Chicken-Fried News has more questions: Who will feed the children if the nonprofit can’t, and how many children are actually being fed now, anyway?
