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Victims Fund Gave $171K to Group Defending Terror Detainees
NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY CENTER ^
| 11/8/2001
Posted on 11/08/2001 3:27:18 PM PST by manumission
Victims Fund Gave $171K to Group Defending Terror Detainees
NLPC Demands that September 11 Fund Get Money Back
WASHINGTON, DC -- National Legal and Policy Center today blasted the United Way of New York and its September 11 Fund for making a grant of $171,000 to the Legal Aid Society, a group that is apparently providing legal assistance to eight individuals detained as a result of the investigation into the September 11 terrorist attacks.
In a letter faxed to Joshua Gotbaum, executive director of the United Way of New York, NLPC demanded that the United Way immediately seek to recover the funds, seek an accounting of resources expended on behalf of the detainees, and require that future grants only go to groups whose agendas are "not inconsistent with the interests of actual or potential terror victims."
The letter read, in part, "Americans generously donated to the September 11 Fund to help the victims of the terrorist attacks. They did not contribute to help the terrorists, their supporters or people arrested or detained because they violated immigration laws."
The September 11 Fund had received $334 million in contributions and pledges as of October 26, according to its website. On November 1, the Fund announced the grant to LAS to "provide emergency civil legal assistance to low-income attack victims."
On November 1, the Wall Street Journal reported in an article ("Detainees on INS Breaches Held in Solitary Status") that the LAS was providing civil legal assistance to eight detainees in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The article quoted Janet Sabel, identified as the head of the immigration division of LAS, as saying that the detainees "are being held in isolation, treated as security risks and interviewed by the FBI with almost no opportunity to first get counsel."
Through its Legal Services Accountability Project, NLPC has monitored abuses by legal services programs since 1993. NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm said, "After exposing and documenting hundreds of instances of waste, fraud, and abuse over the years, this would seem to be the most troubling betrayal of the public trust we have ever come across."
NLPC President Peter Flaherty said, "With all the questions about the fund raising on behalf of victims, this has to be the most shocking development yet."
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
To: manumission
If this is real, O'Reilly is going to FLIP.
2
posted on
11/08/2001 3:32:19 PM PST
by
piasa
To: manumission
WTF! This is infurating!I hope the NLPC grinds them to a halt.
3
posted on
11/08/2001 3:33:29 PM PST
by
poweqi
To: manumission
I believe that giving aid and comfort to the enemy is classified as treason.
4
posted on
11/08/2001 3:36:53 PM PST
by
atafak
To: manumission
Somebody ping O'Reilly. It's just about time for the villagers to get out the torches and pitchforks.
To: piasa
I just saw a guy from the Sept 11 Fund on with O'Reilly last night; he told O'Reilly it ALL went, with the exception of 10 percent, to the victims.
6
posted on
11/08/2001 3:41:18 PM PST
by
Howlin
To: manumission
November 8, 2001
Mr. Joshua Gotbaum
Executive Director
The September 11th Fund
United Way of New York City
2 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Dear Mr. Gotbaum:
Americans generously donated to the September 11th Fund to help the victims of the terrorist attacks.
They did not contribute to help the terrorists, their supporters, or people arrested or detained because they violated immigration laws.
On October 3, the September 11th Fund announced a $171,000 grant to the Legal Aid Society (LAS). Your group's own press release stated the purpose of the LAS grant was to "provide emergency civil legal assistance to low-income attack victims."
On November 1, the Wall Street Journal reported in an article ("Detainees on INS Breaches Held in Solitary Status") that the Legal Aid Society was providing civil legal assistance to eight detainees in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The article quoted Janet Sabel, identified as the head of the immigration division of New York's Legal Aid Society, as saying that the detainees "are being held in isolation, treated as security risks and interviewed by the FBI with almost no opportunity to first get counsel."
The article further identified the eight detainees as clients of Ms. Sabel and stated that "Unlike people charged criminally, Immigration and Naturalization Services detainees aren't entitled to government-appointed lawyers."
At a time when the public is questioning why so few of the victims have received aid they desperately need from groups that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars, it is disturbing that LAS so quickly rushed to provide free civil legal help to the detainees.
On November 6, Congress held a hearing regarding whether funds donated by the public for September 11th victims could be ethically reprogrammed for other charitable purposes such as blood bank support.
We believe the public will be outraged - and justifiably so - to learn that funds from the September 11th Fund are going to support a group which is apparently providing civil legal help to those jailed on violations of immigration law in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
If the September 11th Fund is to have any integrity whatsoever to the public and those who have so generously donated to it, it should:
- immediately seek to recover the $171,000 granted to the Legal Aid Society
- publicly seek a full accounting by an independent accounting firm of the resources used by the Legal Aid Society to provide legal assistance to detainees
- require that all funds dispensed in the future go to groups which do not have their own political, ideological, or legal agenda inconsistent with the intent of the donors or inconsistent with the interests of actual or potential terror victims.
Since 1993, the National Legal and Policy Center has monitored abuses by legal services programs through our Legal Services Accountability Project. After exposing and documenting hundreds of instances of waste, fraud, and abuse over the years, this would seem to be the most troubling betrayal of the public trust that we have ever come across.
We ask that you address this situation, as we have specified, without delay.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Boehm, Chairman, and Peter Flaherty, President
To: manumission
Way to many of the 700,000+ nonprofits in this country are ripping off the American taxpayer. Way to many of them are in business to push their own political ends or to simply enrich their handlers. We need nonprofit corporation reform in America!
To: manumission
.. National Legal and Policy Center today blasted the United Way of New York and its September 11 Fund for making a grant of $171,000 to the Legal Aid Society, a group that is apparently providing legal assistance to eight individuals detained as a result of the investigation into the September 11 terrorist attacks. I thought the Methodist Church would Greg Craig to do the job.
To: manumission
Attention all FOX NEWS CHANNELL subscribers... standby for fireworks as soon as the president finishes and O'Reilly does 'The Factor' live!
10
posted on
11/08/2001 3:53:37 PM PST
by
Norb2569
To: manumission
Attention all FOX NEWS CHANNEL subscribers... standby for fireworks as soon as the president finishes and O'Reilly does 'The Factor' live!
11
posted on
11/08/2001 3:53:48 PM PST
by
Norb2569
To: manumission
"YOU JUST DON'T GET IT...." the legal-aid society isn't gonna use the united way $$$ for the terrorist defense......
they're gonna use "$$$" from a different fund.....
when are "you people" gonna learn?
this is just like the "national endowment for the arts"... see? now, isn't that easy?
you just have to know what the "definition" of "IS" is........
12
posted on
11/08/2001 3:54:37 PM PST
by
hoot2
To: manumission
One more reason why I NEVER donate to the United Way!
To: piasa
If this is true, United Way can say goodbye to all future donations from anyone. They get their donations mainly from getting corporations to brow beat their employees to donating through their pay checks. That needs to stop NOW. Makes you wonder what quid pro quo there is between these corporations and the United Way.
To: manumission
If the United Way is so eager to help low income victims get legal help why didn't the provide the money to hire a private law firm to handle this job instead of giving it to this commie legal outfit thats defending terrorists. Also, I am sure there a tons of lawyers in NYC who would do this job pro-bono. I learned a long time ago, thanks to information provided on Free Republic, never to trust the United Aid. The United Way has been funneling money to left wing groups for as long as I can remember. BOYCOTT UNITED WAY!!!
15
posted on
11/08/2001 4:03:45 PM PST
by
mjk19
To: poweqi
If they had given the money to the real victims like they were supposed to, then the victims could have used it to take care of their most pressing needs, including legal fees.
To: Howlin
I just saw a guy from the Sept 11 Fund on with O'Reilly last night; he told O'Reilly it ALL went, with the exception of 10 percent, to the victims.In liberal-think, perpetrators and suspects are victims, donja know?
To: piasa
United Way is HORRIBLE!!! I wouldn't give one red cent to those Commie Pinkos....but even I CAN"T BELIEVE THIS!!!
To: Norb2569
Did you hear O'Reilly will comment on this tonight?
To: LarryLied
Wonder if that 20th hijacker Zachariah...something...will be helped by the United Way....hope so....another NAIL in their coffin.
To: manumission
Another Clinton appointee/attorney helping out some of his brethern.
Those poor lawyers have to eat too, you know.
21
posted on
11/08/2001 4:22:47 PM PST
by
jmp702
To: Ann Archy
Next we will hear the United Way is sending the money to help fight discrimination against homosexuals in Kabul.
To: LarryLied
Did you hear O'Reilly will comment on this tonight?No, I didn't officially hear that, but O'Reilly is on this like stink on sh*t!
23
posted on
11/08/2001 4:29:03 PM PST
by
Norb2569
To: Las Vegas Dave
I work in the health care field. I work per diem at four different facilities. I get United Way cards from all of them..They have donation cards all ready to go..with a dollar amount typed in all ready to be sucked out of my check each payday..!!
I get notes from management.."explaining" how they want 100% of staff to donate...And they "require" that you turn your cards in..whether or not you donate.
When they hand them to me directly....I say hold on.....and proceed to tear it up in front of them..Some of them act like I've defiled something holy..and stammer.."You can't do that!!" I usually just grin and say "I'm sorry but, yes, I can.."
The United Way..IMO, is a racket. Legalized stealing.
Okay.....rant over.
FRegards,
To: manumission
Anybody want to defend giving money to the United Way? We have known for decades that they support many of the most un American orginazations. They don't respect the wishes of their donars since they have already determined who gets what percentage of their take (minus "administrative costs" of course).
25
posted on
11/08/2001 4:34:24 PM PST
by
FreePaul
To: Osage Orange
At one place where I worked, the United Way representative told me I would be fired if I didn't contribute. Because of that threat, I didn't contribute and haven't since. Luckily I no longer work there.
To: Norb2569
O'Reilly stinks right now. Dismissing the speech we all just heard as not having any effect. Bush didn't say anything new..blah..blah...blah. Now he's into the economy with Lautenberg spewing the usual liberal crap about giving away money and not having major tax cuts.
To: manumission
These Arrogant morons who run the "UNited Way" must be brought to heel.
This if true is the most disgusting use of donated money I have ever heard of.
. Shut down the "United Way" and do a complete investigation of these betrayers of trust.
I can't believe this it must be a mistake.
Or try these jerks under the RICO laws.
28
posted on
11/08/2001 4:52:21 PM PST
by
chatham
To: LarryLied
Heads up! O'Reilly to talk about 911 families soon (9:09 EST here).
To: manumission
WHAAAATTTT!!?!!
30
posted on
11/08/2001 5:11:25 PM PST
by
mafree
To: Las Vegas Dave
Let's hope he picks this up tomorrow night. He was diffcult to take tonight. Bush's speech was so good and he shrugged it off as "not new news."
To: piasa
Oh pleeese.......someone fax this article to O'Reilly.
This is an outrage!
32
posted on
11/08/2001 6:05:40 PM PST
by
mickie
To: Number_Cruncher
I used to work for AFGE MANY years ago. They collected for United Way and insisted all employees participate. They would close the office down the Friday after Thanksgiving with pay as a "reward" to us for full participation. If even one person didn't participate they said no one would get the day off. How is that for using peer pressure against one's rights?
Me and another employee (the only Republicans who worked there, by the way) would always counter by giving a one-time only gift of 50 cents. That way they could still say everyone participated. Still irked me though to even give just 50 cents as a matter of principal.
Have you seen the monster.com commercial where the guy is jumping up and down outside the office building so happy he was quitting his job and shouting "I'm so out of here"? That's how I felt when I left that job!
33
posted on
11/08/2001 6:07:17 PM PST
by
MD5
To: LarryLied
O'Reilly has no set core of basic principles that guide him from issue to issue. He reacts to news events as they come up, sometimes intelligently and sometimes off-the-wall. Sometimes left, sometimes right.....Tonight he was bashing President Bush and corporations. He interrupted Linda Chavez so much she was thrown off balance. He had a golden opportunity to pick apart Klinton's anti-American remarks, but blew it. Deliberately, in my opinion.....His "nuke the Talibans" rhetoric and crusade against the Red Cross and other charities will just get him so far. Far enough, evidently to fool many conservatives. I paid special attention to his asides and throwaway lines tonight. They are revealing. The poster who said he is just a populist is correct. I would add, a liberal-leaning populist. I'm just not going to view him any more. He is beginning to make me ill. Besides, watching him cuts into my freeping time.
Leni
To: MinuteGal
O'Reilly is the typical Roman Catholic, Irish, JFK Democrat I knew as a kid (we're both from CT). You are right, he is a populist. For the little guy, big on defense, against heavy taxes, willing to let government do more than you or I might but not a marxist as nearly all Democrats are today. I'm amused when I hear liberals describe him as right wing. But then no liberal today would vote for JFK (who had more in common with Reagan than he did with Carter or Clinton).
To: MinuteGal
Well said about O'Reilly -- the most aggravating thing is that he gets to the point when he can really nail people, and he doesn't go for the kill. For instance, he had the CEO of United Way on the other night, blathering about how the money was dispersed through "grants" to various agencies to help the victims -- you and I would ask, "Which agencies, and are all these "grants" certain to help the victims only?" He gave the guy a pass; as he usually does when push comes to shove.
Aside from his obvious lack of convictions about anything, he's all headline-grabbing bark and no meaningful bite.
To: browardchad
the most aggravating thing is that he gets to the point when he can really nail people, and he doesn't go for the kill.He did that tonight with the head of the Postal Workers Union. The man said management knew anthrax was in the facilities and hid it. When O'Reilly pushed him on it, the guy said stuff like this has been going on for years, that everyone who works there knows it. Rather than ask him to cite other cases, he backed off and asked his orginal question once again.
To: browardchad
Hate to see that about O'Reilly, I really like the guy. Haven't been watching him as much lately. Once he gets on a rant, it gets a bit redundant, though it is effective some of the time.
And you're right about him pulling his punches. I've heard him rant and rave about so-in-so, and when they finally agree to come on his show, I eagerly wait for him to go for the jugular. He gets close, then wimps out!!! It's like some rule of etiquette stepped in, like some secret code of ethics says you can't trounce this particular guy since they agreed to come on your show.
Who knows?? All I know these days is that FReepers takes up time I used to spend watching Fox.
To: LarryLied
You wrote:
"But then no liberal today would vote for JFK (who had more in common with Reagan than he did with Carter or Clinton)."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Funny thing is.....many of the Democrat Sheeple that I run into think it's still the party of JFK. They honestly to not understand, nor ( and this is the perplexing part..) apparently seem to care..that for all intents and purposes the party of JFK, is no more.
To: Osage Orange
Yup. JFK Democrats switched to the GOP and are now, according to Bill Clinton and others, "right wing extremists."
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