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My responsibility to my viewers is to post the article that made the statement about Yele Haiti Foundation and allow you to be the judge of Wyclef Jean. I will continue to support him because with me starting a nonprofit, I too will possibly make a mistake along the way. At least he has a Servants heart and has a desire and passion to make a difference in the lives of his people in Haiti. It's unfortunate that I can't say that about all of us in this country.
I'd like to also add that if you, Mr. Art Taylor saw he was making some errors with his accounting why did you just disclose the information now. We need to stop stepping on each other and reach out to assist when we have the specialization to better someone. We see them trying to do something right and not take advantage of someone and we don't lend our assistance via education or referral, we just put bad press out about them and for what reason. Well I guess you know why you did this Mr. Art Taylor and your day will come when it will be your turn.
January 15, 2010
Update: Concerns Addressed at Press Conference... 'Yele's books are open and transparent'...
Yele Haiti has raised over $2 million, according to reports, but the goodwill was brought to an abrupt stop when TheSmokingGun.com unearthed documents claiming that the 12-year-old incorporated company only recently filed tax returns, for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Wclef emphatically denied any malicious wrongdoing, stating he had not profited as a result of his efforts. "Did we make mistakes, yes," Clef said, after the president of Yele Haiti briefed the audience first citing that the group was founded in 2005, not earlier as reported. "Did I ever use any of Yele's money for personal benefit, no. Yele's books are open and transparent, and we have been a clean bill of health by an external auditor every year since we started."
Previously: The Smoking Gun:
The Haiti earthquake has already triggered hundreds of thousands of donations to musician Wyclef Jean's charitable foundation, which expects to raise upwards of $1 million a day in the disaster's wake. However, Internal Revenue Service records show the group has a lackluster history of accounting for its finances, and that the organization has paid the performer and his business partner at least $410,000 for rent, production services, and Jean's appearance at a benefit concert. Though the Wyclef Jean Foundation, which does business as Yele Haiti Foundation, was incorporated 12 years ago—and has been active since that time—the group only first filed tax returns in August 2009. That month, the foundation provided the IRS with returns covering calendar years 2005, 2006, and 2007—the only periods for which it has publicly provided a glimpse at its financial affairs. In 2006, Jean's charity reported contributions of $1 million, the bulk of which came from People magazine in exchange for the first photos of a pregnant Angelina Jolie (the actress reportedly directed that the publication's payment go to Jean's charity, not her personally). As seen on the following pages from the foundation's 2006 tax return, the group paid $31,200 in rent to Platinum Sound, a Manhattan recording studio owned by Jean and Jerry Duplessis, who, like Jean, is a foundation board member. A $31,200 rent payment was also made in 2007 to Platinum Sound. The rent, tax returns assure, "is priced below market value." The recording studio also was paid $100,000 in 2006 for the "musical performance services of Wyclef Jean at a benefit concert." That six-figure payout, the tax return noted, "was substantially less than market value." The return, of course, does not address why Jean needed to be paid to perform at his own charity's fundraiser. But the largest 2006 payout—a whopping $250,000—went to Telemax, S.A., a for-profit Haiti company in which Jean and Duplessis were said to "own a controlling interest." The money covered "pre-purchased…TV airtime and production services" that were part of the foundation's "outreach efforts" in Haiti.
ABC News – Groups Raise Doubts About Wyclef Jean's Charity:
Groups that vet charities are raising doubts about the organization backed by Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean, questioning its accounting practices and ability to function in earthquake-hit Haiti.
Even as more than $2 million poured into The Wyclef Jean Foundation Inc. via text message after just two days, experts questioned how much of the money would help those in need.
"It's questionable. There's no way to get around that," said Art Taylor, president and chief executive of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, based in Arlington, Va.
Taylor reviewed Internal Revenue Service tax returns for the organization also known as Yele Haiti Foundation from 2005 through 2007. He said the first red flag of poor accounting practices was that three years of returns were filed on the same day — Aug. 10 of last year.
In 2007, the foundation's spending exceeded its revenues by $411,000. It brought in just $79,000 that year.
"Here's the bottom line: for an earthquake of catastrophic proportions, do people really believe that this organization is in a position to do anything right now?" he said.
The U.S. State Department has added a hotline for those trying to contact relatives in Haiti: 1–888-407–4747.
The powerful earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday knocked out telephones and electricity in the capital, Port-au-Prince, adding to the fears of many Haitian expatriates and family members who could not contact t
The New York Times would like to connect people inside and outside Haiti who are searching for information about the situation on the ground. Readers outside Haiti, who have friends and relatives in the country, along with readers in Haiti who are still able to access the Internet, can use the comments section below as a forum to share updates. Some readers may be searching for the same family members.
Haiti needs your help text YELE to 501 501 and 5 dollars will go toward earthquake relief.
I am on my way to the D R to get to Haiti Please urge you council men governors etc we need a state of emergency for Haiti www.yele.org
MTV:
In the wake of the Tuesday's devastating 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, singer Wyclef Jean has issued an urgent plea for help for his struggling homeland.
"Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced," Jean wrote on his Web site of the island nation, which is one of the most impoverished countries in the Western Hemisphere.
The massive earthquake, the largest the Caribbean island has seen in more than 200 years, struck around 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday. The epicenter was around 10 miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince, which according to reports was largely destroyed by the initial quake and a series of aftershocks. While damage and casualty figures were not available at press time, they are expected to be high due to the poor construction of many of the island's buildings.
"I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse," Wyclef continued. "The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now. President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands 'ready to assist' the Haitian people. The U.S. military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible."
Jean established the non-profit Yele Haiti Foundation in 2004 to provide scholarships for the country's children, and he has worked with the United Nations World Food Program to send food assistance to the island. He is encouraging people to text "Yele" to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund or visit Yele.org and click "donate" to help the island's people.
In the wake of the Tuesday's devastating 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, singer Wyclef Jean has issued an urgent plea for help for his struggling homeland.
"Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced," Jean wrote on his Web site of the island nation, which is one of the most impoverished countries in the Western Hemisphere.
The massive earthquake, the largest the Caribbean island has seen in more than 200 years, struck around 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday. The epicenter was around 10 miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince, which according to reports was largely destroyed by the initial quake and a series of aftershocks. While damage and casualty figures were not available at press time, they are expected to be high due to the poor construction of many of the island's buildings.
"I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse," Wyclef continued. "The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now. President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands 'ready to assist' the Haitian people. The U.S. military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible."
Jean established the non-profit Yele Haiti Foundation in 2004 to provide scholarships for the country's children, and he has worked with the United Nations World Food Program to send food assistance to the island. He is encouraging people to text "Yele" to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund or visit Yele.org and click "donate" to help the island's people.
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