Wounded Warrior Project’s top execs reportedly fired amid lavish spending scandal
The two top executives of the Wounded Warrior Project — among the largest veterans charities in the country — were fired Thursday after an investigation into accusations of lavish spending on parties, hotel and travel, CBS News reported.
Wounded Warrior Project’s CEO, Steven Nardizzi, and COO, Al Giordano, were fired by the charity’s board amid criticisms about how it spends more than $800 million raised in donations in the past four years, CBS News reported.
The charity’s board of directors made their decision after a meeting in New York City, where they received preliminary results of a financial and policy audit, sources told CBS News.
The charity came under fire after an earlier CBS News investigation in January revealed large amounts of spending on administration, meetings, and travel. SOURCE
Well, isn’t that special?? All the folks that told me how well Wounded Warriors was managed and how well they spent the money and how WRONG I was for calling them into question have been shown for their gullibility and for not paying attention when those *in the know* had something valuable to say.
Any organization that would enrich themselves at the expense of those who fought for this nation should be ashamed. Veterans shouldn’t need charity for medical care to begin with, Vets were willing to give their lives if called upon to do so and the U.S. government owes these men and woman a fair shake in return.
I know Vets that donated to Wounded Warriors; I have donated to them too, but I heard “noise” about fraud, mismanagement, theft and so forth.
I stopped donating and made a post about Wounded Warriors, and as usual, I was told how wrong I was, how I didn’t support the Warriors and how I was an anti-American douchebag because Wounded Warriors was such a noble venture.
I was threatened with being made a part of a suit if I didn’t remove my post that told the story of Wounded Warriors and how it was believed to be a fraudulent organization and having no hard proof in hand, I had linked to another blog author regarding HIS post, and a lack of hard proof forced me to delete the post. That was only the 2nd time since I started blogging that I deleted a post, and I have regretted BOTH deletions. That deletion and an explanation is linked below.
A Retraction regarding Wounded Warrior Project
Well, as it turns out I was a lot more right than wrong, I only wish I hadn’t deleted the full post, but bloggers don’t have the funds to take on a group the size of WWP and the obvious *disposable income* they apparently have and enjoy.
Vindication feels good but this whole thing just makes me want to puke!
And somehow, I just don’t believe the 2 firings are the end of the corruption, I believe these guys are merely the *whipping boys*, the *scape goats* or *the fall guys* sacrificed to save a corrupt organization. I hope I’m wrong.
I remember reading that post Fred. I was inspired to do a little homework on my own and found your observations had merit. I stopped giving to WWP and instead have supported my local American Legion Post. The amount of our donations isn’t large but it’s nice to know that the money isn’t wasted on “administrative expenses”. I have been a member of the BPOE for some time now and they do a good job locally too.
I hope there are many that read the story I had up, and vindication feels good but this is one case where I hate to be right, when I think of the money wasted that could have helped our Wounded Warriors it makes me SICK! And I, and several others, had it RIGHT from the start, we just didn’t have the bucks to make a fight…
“What goes around, comes around”. Fucking lawyers…If I was Mr. Alex Graham, I’d sue the shit out of them. If I were you Fred, I’d do the same as Graham.
I read that post also. I have given to WWP in the past, after reading your post, Fred, I stopped. I hate that others are making money off the backs of those who gave all, and live with the infirmities.
Keep it up, Fred, a great many of us pay attention to you, BZ, and others to get the truth out.
Have always believed Wounded Warriors was a scam. Gave early on but stopped when they announced they were anti-gun. Was strange to me that a charity that was supposedly helping wounded vets would take that stance. Getting to the crux of the matter, any service member who is wounded in combat is retired medically or qualifies for VA disability payments depending on the severity of the wounds. They also qualify for medical treatment for as long as needed. The military does indeed take care of their own. WWP makes it seem like they get no care to play on peoples emotions who are not in the know. Believe they took this tack to enrich themselves while helping a selected few wounded vets and their families. As a retired Army Officer, I will not be giving any more money to this organization.
I gave monthly to Wounded Warriors for a long time, then I just was screwing around on the Internet and looked at Charitable sites. One in particular that reports on charitable donations. I felt the amount paid to CEO’s and spent on expenses other than Vets was way out of balance, excessive with the WW’s. I stopped the deductions for WW’s on my account at that time. I then started checking regularly with other vets and Vets groups and found that many, many others had notice descrepancys of money collected and how it was distributed.
A short time later Texas Fred came out with his well written blog about the organization making money off wounded warriors. The ball continued to roll downhill, resulting in the latest result of the two top execs being fired. I agree with Fred that this is unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. Top people in entertainment have never spoken out against these people at WW’s but must have had some idea of the corruption going on. Those other members of the organization who continued helping take in the money but did nor said nothing should be ashamed. I would encourage anyone stil donating to this organization to stop and research the charities you do give too. There are sites on line that ‘rate’ charities and show where donations to them are spent. Personally, the only two I give to are the American Legion and the Salvation Army, but there are others out there deserving of your support. Texas Fred, keep on telling it like it is, great job.
I have never donated to WWP. I tend to keep my dollars closer to home.
You may want to read this, considering which military charities are competent and worth donations, and how to donate:
http://www.clarkhoward.com/a-guide-to-the-best-and-worst-military-charities
BZ
Ron in Ohio Sez:
Ya’ know Fred, I wish I could tell ya’ who, what, where or when set-up the “Red Flag” on W-W for me. Perhaps it was on your blog. I wish you could post the date of your E-Mail that you had to delete. Perhaps one of your other readers might have that if you don’t.
Anyway, I too can’t tell you how long it’s been since I began telling folks, on-line and in person, about the charlatans that W-W truly was (is?). But, I’ll tell ya’ this, it’s been awhile and like your commenters before me, There are a helluva’ lot more sites than “Charity Watch” that have had these scammers in their sights for some time now.
Charity Watch, who’s last posting on W-W is 1-1/2 years old, last did a pretty watered-down criticism of them stating that 46% of their program was “operating costs” while also stating that it cost them $28.00 to raise $100.00 (?) They got a “C” rating back then.
I’m going to do an “archive” search of my E-mails to see just when I too saw the light.
I was all set to start donating to WWP but then I heard that they refused money from a Baptist Church in Florida. I figured if their money wasn’t good enough for them, then neither was mine.
I remember when you wrote the article and someone came on and took you to task on it because they were involved with WWP. I knew you were right then just as much as time has proven you right today. Of the over 800 million they received in the past four years, only about 60% went to Wounded Veterans. That means they blew roughly 320 million dollars. To prey off the sympathies of the American People and use Wounded Veterans is the lowest of the low.
It was a guy named Deron Santiny… He travels all over the country with them, going to WWP events because he is a wounded warrior… This is going to sound terribly tacky but I believe he’s one of the *easily led* they parade out to bolster their cause, and the reason I didn’t say much when he DID take me to task was because he and my son served together in the 256BCT La. Army National Guard in Baghdad back in ’05…
Well, fuck him, all bets are off now…
I remember your post Fred. The red flag for me early on was the blanket give away for a donation and the stereotypical “$19.00 per month” as with all these TV charities. If I was so inclined to donate the last thing I would want warming my legs in front of the fire would be a blanket, the cost of which should have went to wounded warriors.