A public corruption watchdog has filed a complaint accusing conservative nonprofits of misusing funds to cover legal expenses for former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Accountable.US submitted a detailed letter to the Washington D.C. Attorney General’s Office, alleging that in 2022, two 501(c)(3) organizations transferred approximately $1.1 million to evade scrutiny over their expenditures.
The complaint asserts that the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) and Personnel Policy Operations (PPO) engaged in financial maneuvers to obscure the true beneficiaries of these funds.
It calls for an investigation into potential violations of nonprofit regulations and advocates for the revocation of their nonprofit statuses under D.C. law.
According to the filing, PPO received a $1.15 million grant from CPI, which subsequently granted $1.13 million to the now-defunct Constitutional Rights Defense Fund.
This fund allegedly provided legal defense services for Meadows, as reported by The New York Times.
Both CPI and PPO, located at the same address in Washington D.C., have been identified as influential entities within a pro-Trump network, particularly in anticipation of the upcoming election cycle.
The complaint argues that nonprofit organizations must exclusively serve limited public purposes to maintain their tax-exempt status.
It further alleges that PPO primarily served the private interests of a small group of Republican Party affiliates, rather than the broader public good.
Similar accusations are leveled against CPI, with additional claims that the organization acted as a financial vehicle benefiting Meadows personally.
The complaint highlights CPI’s substantial payments to Meadows, far exceeding compensations to other employees, potentially violating rules against private inurement.
Caroline Ciccone, President of Accountable.US, condemned these alleged actions, asserting that CPI’s operations and financial practices raise serious legal and ethical concerns.
The watchdog urges accountability and transparency in nonprofit operations, stressing the need for adherence to nonprofit regulations to maintain public trust.
The unfolding investigation will shed light on these allegations, determining whether CPI and PPO operated within legal boundaries or violated nonprofit regulations for personal gain.
