Perhaps it’s not surprising to find out that Black Lives Matter is currently in the midst of another financial scandal. It might not be so shocking after news broke that revealed the truth about the organization’s money problems late last year.
Boston GlobeThis story was about a city activist who gained fame after organizing protests against the George Floyd murder. Elle is currently under investigation by the federal government for allegations she and her husband misappropriated donations made to Violence in Boston Inc. This is the author’s response:
Monica Cannon-Grant, 41, who started her charity with $1,000 in 2017 and now operates out of a 4,000-square-foot headquarters in Hyde Park, has come under scrutiny as part of an investigation by the US Attorney’s office that led to the October arrest of her husband, Clark Grant, and the raid of their Taunton home.
A federal grand jury issued a subpoena for records from the Suffolk District Attorney’s office, which is one of several public and private entities that donated to the activist’s organization. Investigators want to determine if any donations and grant money received by the group were for personal expenses.
After rising to fame, Monica Cannon Grant established a friendship with Rep. AyannaPressley (D-MA), and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, both of whom were members of the same city council.
Clark Grant, Monica’s husband, is suspected of committing COVID unemployment fraud and making false statements on a mortgage application. “Federal prosecutors allege he collected $67,950 in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefits between May 2020 and September 2021 although he was employed full time during that period, according to a 15-page criminal complaint,” according to The Globe.
Grant also listed the nonprofit’s bank account as his own when he and his wife applied for a $402,573 mortgage for their house. Cannon Grant was named Bostonian-of-the Year. Boston Globe MagazineHer work was praised after organizing a march to protest police brutality that attracted thousands.
She claimed that she was being targeted by white supremacists and the government because she had been jealous of her success. She repeated a familiar maxim, “more money, more problems” and claimed, “nobody paid me any mind” when she was doing her work out of a kitchen and parking lots. She asserted that after winning “awards and accolades,” people targeted her because they did not feel she deserved them.
There isn’t much information on the nonprofit’s finances yet because it has not yet filed tax documentation that is required of public charities. However, The GlobeAfter reviewing the tax returns for 2020, it was confirmed that the group had raised and spent $85,000. Additionally, an affidavit filed in Clark Grant’s case indicated the organization had over $447,000 in its bank account.
Black Lives Matter’s financial shenanigans were first exposed after a Washington ExaminerInvestigative work revealed that the donations to the group were millions of dollars and not properly accounted for. According to the news source, nobody appears to have been officially appointed as head of the international organization. The State of California’s Department of Justice issued a warning to the group over its failure to file appropriate financial paperwork and the group is also being investigated in Washington state.
But isn’t it slightly odd that none of this news has hit any mainstream media outlets? It isn’t a big deal by itself. But after it was revealed that the global organization might not be on the up-and-up, wouldn’t this have garnered at least Some coverage? This could be another indication that the group may be on a downward spiral.
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