More on U.S. Navy Veterans Assoc. Political Slush Fund

Florida must step up to clean up Navy Veterans mess

November 9, 2010 - The state of Ohio is doing the public a service by following the money behind the U.S. Navy Veterans Association, a Tampa-based charity whose founder is being sought on corruption, theft and money laundering charges. Now Ohio investigators have unearthed evidence of fraudulent donations to political campaigns. Authorities need to determine whether the group committed organized election fraud. And Florida has a responsibility to take a lead role in the investigation. Florida not only hosted the nonprofit, some of its leaders' political campaigns received Navy Veterans' tainted donations.

Authorities across the country are exploring whether the tax-exempt charity, which raised money under the auspices of helping veterans, was actually a front. Ohio found money orders sent to political campaigns from people who don't exist, and the addresses for the phony donors turned out to be mailboxes rented by the Navy Veterans group. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray has called the veterans group a "sham charity" and an "elaborate hoax." He estimated the group collected more than $2.1 million in Ohio alone and defrauded as many as 100,000 Ohioans. {read rest}