The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will conduct an internal audit of its scholarship program in the wake of Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson’s admission that she steered school aid to relatives and a staff member’s children, the Associated Press reports.
The nonprofit group has its own staff but is closely linked to the coalition of African-American lawmakers. Its chairman, Rep. Donald Payne, of New Jersey, said neither the charity nor the caucus “will allow unethical behavior” in the scholarship awards.
Ms. Johnson arranged 23 scholarships for an aide’s son and daughter and for two grandsons and two grandnephews of her own between 2005 and 2008, in apparent violation of the charity’s rules barring such aid for legislators’ relatives, according to the Dallas Morning News. She has promised to repay the awards.
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0 Responses to Congressional Charity Plans Audit of Scholarship Program
dmzemel - September 1, 2010 at 3:54 pm
It’s too bad that the kids involved got such bad (arrogant?) advice from their parents and the scholarship fund. Now we need to add penalties for the organizations that violate conflict of interest regulations.