Party Crasher's Charity: More Questions
The Journey for the Cure Foundation run by Tareq and Michaele Salahi spent more money on office supplies in 2008 than charitable donations according to documents the foundation filed with the Commonwealth of Virginia and obtained by CBS News.
The Salahis have been accused of crashing the White House State Dinner on November 24th and have been asked to testify at a House Homeland Security Committee hearing tomorrow which will examine the security breach. The committee says the couple has neither confirmed or denied they will attend.
The charity reported taking in $19,098.91 in donations in 2008 and giving $690 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and $20 to the US Navy Memorial Fund. But the foundation reported it spent $819 on office supplies.
In 2008, the foundation spent $7,200 for "professional fees", $5,300 for "travel" and $5,823 on "Fundraising and Meals" according to records filed with the Commonwealth of Virginia. The couple's non-profit also spent over $1200 on "bank fees" for their small charity.
Calls to Susan Dove, the Treasurer of the foundation were not returned. The phone number listed on the charity's registration form rings to a fax machine and a fax received no response. The voice mail box at the Salahi home is full and Tareq Salahi did not respond to an email.
Salahi attorney Paul Gardner did not return a phone call but an attorney who is now representing Gardner, Mark Dycio, returned a call saying that Gardner himself now needs legal representation since the Salahis mentioned him in a recent interview.
Citing layers of legal representation Dycio said, "It's thick."
The Salahi's new attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
The Journey for the Cure Foundation set up by the Salahis is said to benefit from the Salahi's event, America's Polo Cup.
In a Youtube video promoting the tournament, Tareq Salahi told a production company, "Journey for the Cure charity comes in and they provide funding to these different charities that we support and we do direct and indirect funding."
The Washington Post reported that the Salahis gave in-kind wine donations to charitable organizations in previous years.
The Washington Post also reported that many of America's Polo Cup sponsors listed for the event on the tournament's website say they are not sponsors. Kate Robbins, an event fundraiser, told the Post that she raised $225,000 for the polo event but says she was never paid. Vendors for America's Polo Cup have also filed multiple lawsuits against the Salahis.
The purpose of the foundation listed on the most recent records with the state is, "Support organizations and individuals, families and patients that are stricken with diseases, to include but not be limited to, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Leukemia and Lymphoma."
IRS records show the charity received its non-profit status in 2006.
Today the White House posted new guidelines for guests.