Thursday, January 17, 2008

Give Back the Money General Franks

General Franks takes 100,000

By BRIAN ROSS
Jan. 17, 2008
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Retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks, who led the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, was paid $100,000 to endorse a veterans charity that watchdog groups say is ripping off donors and wounded veterans by using only a small portion of the money raised for veterans services, according to testimony in Congress today.

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Gen. Franks' involvement was revealed as members of Congress questioned Roger Chapin, who operates Help Hospitalized Veterans and the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes Foundation, charities that congressional investigators say spend only 25 percent of the money they raise on projects for wounded veterans.

The charities were graded "F" by the American Institute of Philanthropy because so little of the money is used for actual charity projects or services.

Chapin testified he approached Gen. Franks in 2005, and he agreed to let his signature be used on mass mailings seeking contributions to his charities.

"He helped us raise millions and millions of dollars more than we would have," Chapin told the hearing, chaired by Congressman Henry Waxman, D- Calif.

Congressman Waxman said Gen. Franks had since disassociated himself from Chapin's charities and asked that his name be removed from the solicitation.

"General Franks was paid $100,000 to lend his name. We understand he developed misgivings and asked that his name be taken off," Congressman Waxman said.

Chapin also revealed that his charity paid $5,000 a month for the endorsement of retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Arthur "Chip" Diehl.

Contacted by ABCNews.com, Gen. Diehl said he had "no comment."

Chapin said it was "an insult" to suggest that Gen. Franks or Gen. Diehl had "sold their integrity."

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It might be an insult but the facts speak for themselves they did not investigate the actual works of the "charity" and learned that most of the money went to buy real estate for the charity head and his wife and also paid them lavish salaries

where's the Honor here?

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We need to do our own investigation instead of taking just taking what we hear in the media at face value.

These charities mentioned here helped thousands of wounded vets lead productive lives.

The better question is - Why are we attacking charities in the first place? They wouldn't even be around in the first place our government leaders took care of the troops they sent to war - not the charities who are helping them when they come home battered and bruised.