By choosing the . Another law enforcement charity that faced disciplinary action was the American Association of State Troopers, which was fined a total of $321,115 in three states - Georgia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. I've asked them repeatedly to stop calling this typically results in additional calls back to back from different numbers. In a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, another woman, whose name was redacted, said she received multiple calls from the National Coalition for Police and Troopers, one of the super PACs various aliases. Email Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken. The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. Law enforcement has a tough enough job without having to put up with charlatans masquerading as heroes. Registration with any of these state agencies does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by any state. If a charity is forced to move its headquarters to a new state on account of the dodgy dealings and underhand practices its been getting up to in its old home, anyone with any sense should know to keep well away, Unfortunately, the United States Deputy Sheriffs Association is well versed enough in manipulation to convince even the most well-meaning of folk that its still a cause worthy of their support. The National Police Support Fund is a national coalition committed to promoting the interests of America's. Clint Bates. The group's videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. Charity hustles work the same way. Just change the state to your state and verify the charity is listed with your state attorney general's office, or another regulatory office (each state has different requirements). It also transferred $30,000 to another pro-police super PAC that the union operates, based on the officers listed on its filings. Just hang up. Is an organization that supports police for donations a charity The caller said he was phoning on behalf of the Committee for Police Officers Defense. Trump billboards along a desert stretch of highway near the border of California and Arizona were paid for by a small business that received a federal loan. But almost no one was helped. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. Law Enforcement for a Safer America has raked in nearly $10 million in donations from January 2019 to June 2020 . Super PACs generally have far fewer state-level reporting requirements and are regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which has fewer enforcement options than the IRS. Asking for donations to the National Police Support Fund. "The words police and words firefighter are not trademarked," Kemerer explained, "so it is very easy for scammers to use those names and create fake organizations. What should we investigate next? Wow! Many legitimate charities support local firefighters and police, active duty military, and veterans, or their families. Three calls to his Virginia office for comment have gone unanswered as well as an email sent directly to his address listed in his filings with California. It turns out Police and Fire Retirees of Ohio is a legitimate non profit lobbying group, though it is not a charity under IRS rules. JW August is a San Diego-based broadcast and digital journalist. Are robo-calls from the 'Committee for Police Officers' Defense' (aka 9 This was up from roughly $1 million raised by the group, which was founded in June 2018, in the last six months of the prior election cycle. . We highly encourage our followers to verify who they are making donations to when contacted for fundraisers.. "Being that it was a recording right off the bat . Especially after a tragedy or military-related event, fundraisers and causes show up on social media and people create crowdfunding campaigns to help those affected. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. I received a phone call asking me to donate to National Police Support Fund I was going to give them my debit card number over the phone but changed my mind at the last moment. POLICING THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE COUNTRY: What do Chicago's LEO's and citizens think? The IRS has pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. But their website and solicitations are designed to look and sound like Make a Wish. It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. The fund is the third in a series of outrageous attempts by founders David Dierks and Phil LeConte to extort money from generous Americans under the pretext of donations to the nation's police forces. He never would have given money to any group if he knew that some of that money was going to pro-Trump campaign ads, said Busse. . The matter now heads to the Senate, where the disapproval resolution may pass if every Republican plus rebellious Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (W.Va.) support the effort. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Charity Navigator - Rating for National Police Association Inc. I feel they abuse their use of the name to maybe convey a false sense to the community about who they are and what they really do with the money.. They are the tragi-charities. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Woman suspicious after calls to help police. Here are the Top 7 Amazon scam calls. One Daughters Fight Against Charity Fraud, Exclusive Walgreens Cash rewards for members, AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia: Vacation Packages, Members save when booking a flight vacation package, AARP Identity Theft Protection powered by Norton, Up to 53% off comprehensive protection plans, AARP Online Fitness powered by LIFT session, Customized workouts designed around your goals and schedule, SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS. The fund is a real nonprofit organization, but it is a political group created "primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office. At the end of 2021, robocalls raising money for police groups were the highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, according to Nomorobo, a robocall-blocking company that works with AARP on fraud prevention. The result: a rise in super PACs that use sympathetic-sounding causes primarily to line their own pockets (the FEC has called this subset scam PACs). Across the industry, calls are computer-generated before being routed to telemarketers, something Politicause and TPFE employees said allowed their firms to maximize the number of calls and to pester people repeatedly. They do disclose, however, that of the nearly $10 million raised, the super PAC gave more money back to the union roughly $350,000 for office, operational and overhead expenses than the $173,500 it spent on political activities between January 2019 and June 2020. Post has been removed or is no longer public. Sadly, it comes down to their choice of words during a pitch; its unlawful to misrepresent how the money will be spent. The funds raised during their 4-day long ride are donated directly to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Super PACs are able to raise unlimited amounts of money, which they can use to advocate for political candidates or causes. Also worth noting is that while his organization is based in Virginia, and gets its mail in Stafford, TX, Fotis lives in Lake Worth, FL. FTC Announces Operation False Charity Law Enforcement Sweep Being a generous person, she agreed to mail them $50. For example, in the tax year that ended March 2018, the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund gave 11 families an average of $6,545 apiece. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.Paid for by National Police Support Fund, Inc. |Privacy & Refund Policy| Sitemap, Biggest Issues Facing Police Officers Today. Years later, as the success of the . Gas station secured small business bailout money, then paid for Trump billboards, After learning from CNN that his 92-year-old father had given $1,200 to the super PAC, Curt Busse said that the donations were made as his fathers cognitive skills declined, making him a prime target for telemarketers. The National Police Association files amicus brief opposing Oregon's attempt to criminalize law abiding gun owners. I said no i was told I would be sent a pledge form. We strive to engage the public through political grassroots activity to support political interests that promote officer's interests. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. In a nationwide, federal-state crackdown on fraudulent telemarketers claiming to help police, firefighters, and veterans, the Federal Trade Commission, together with 61 Attorneys General, Secretaries of State, and other law enforcers of 49 states and the District of Columbia, today announced Operation False Charity. The former employee, who asked to remain anonymous because of a nondisclosure agreement, said he remembered fundraising companies outsourcing some of the telemarketing overseas to locations like the Philippines, where they relied on recordings instead of live agents. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. A union receptionist also confirmed to CNN that the super PAC is run by the union, but union leaders did not respond to repeated calls, voicemails and emails that laid out the concerns from other police departments and donors and asked why so little of the $10 million raised went toward political activities. How 'Scam PACs' reap millions in the name of heart-tugging causes FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. Here's the truth behind the 'National Police Association'and its shady This would allow me a chance to talk to your wife about considering further contributions. The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) is a coalition of police unions and associations from across the United States and was organized for the purpose of advancing the interests of America's law enforcement officers through legislative advocacy, political action and education. 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour Disclaimer PAIA again. IRS reports show that in 2011 alone, executive director Ken Howles drew an $87000 salary of the little money left over, only around 9-14% made its way into the hands of the troopers. If you want to donate money for your police or fire department, send your contribution to the local sheriff or chiefs directly. How to report a scammer? Another telemarketing employee reached by CNN in the Philippines confirmed this, saying he solicited money on behalf of the super PAC and the IUPA using audio recordings of someone who sounded like they were actually calling from America, and that most of the people they reached were elderly adding he felt it was a scam because they didnt realize what they were actually donating to. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. Andy Cottam is among the many who received the call. California resident Kellie Van Westen, 69, said she has family members who are law enforcement officers and that she believed the roughly $1,400 she donated since 2019 would help bolster local police budgets and pay for equipment to keep them safe.. BBB Advises Potential Donors to be Cautious If Solicited by the Read Also: What Are The Best Police Boots, Read Also: How Do I Become A K9 Police Officer. In the wake of tragedies large and small, they pop up like mushrooms after a rain. Once it was blocked through my service provider, an additional phone number began to call my home multiple times a day. Please reload the page and try again. The National Police Support Fund is a legitimate organization that supports the interests of America's law enforcement officers. Many donors say they believed they were supporting a charity that helps local officers. FAQs: Who is the National Police Support Fund? The usual claiming they were legitimate. Do police call for donations? - JacAnswers One of Fotis websites solicits money for individuals who were guilty of a crime for doing their job the way they were trained to do it. Verify: Law enforcement charity phone calls - KSDK Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. The National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. The National Police Association advocates Support the Police, and Back the Blue, because Blue Lives Matter. That is equivalent to 2.7 percent of the $2.7 million the organization raised from donors that year, according to its federal tax return. To raise awareness of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty. Promoting divisive rhetoric is detrimental to the public safety mission that requires any genuine law enforcement organization to be accountable to its constituents. Ask for information, check sites like Charitynavigator.org and then if it all checks out, write that check. In fact, former employees of these types of fundraisers have testified about how they used soundboard technology to play prerecorded messages as responses, in part so they could talk to several donors at once. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. Last month the National Police Association (NPA) filed an ethics complaint against Rachael Rollins, the new district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts (who recently . Many of these names could easily be confused with public charities, such as Autism Speaks, National Association of Police Organizations, or Veterans Assistance Foundation. So have we all. Concerns of Police Survivors. The websites describe his career in law enforcement and his role as the creator of the police officers safety act legislation carried by former San Diego Congressman Randy Duke Cunningham. Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Law School professor specializing in campaign finance and political corruption, said the fact that the super PAC had spent such a huge proportion of its contributions on its own expenses was jaw dropping and that it was equally concerning to hear that fundraisers were going after the elderly who they may consider easy marks..
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