Tim Ballard

[teddyaware]

13 hours ago, ttribe said:

May I introduce you to:

- Bernie Madoff (Madoff Investments)
- Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos)
- Father Bruce Ritter (Covenant House)
- William Aramony (United Way of America)
- John Bennett Jr. (Foundation for New Era Philanthropy)
- Roger Chapin (Help Hospitalized Veterans and Coalition to Salute America's Heroes)
- Larry Jones (Feed the Children)
- John Donald Cody (United States Veterans Association)
- Greg Mortenson (Central Asia Institute)
- The Wingo Family (Angel Food Ministries)
- Somaly Mam (Somaly Mam Foundation)
- James Reynolds, Sr. (Cancer Fund of America)
- Zvi Shor (National Children's Leukemia Foundation)
- Kim Williams (Healing Arts Initiative)
- Brian Mullaney (WonderWork)
- Lola Jean Amorin (The Arc in Hawaii)

All of these people convinced the public they were "honest men (and women) of conscience" but it turned out they were just cons and fraudsters.

Source of charity fraud examples: https://www.charitywatch.org/charity-donating-articles/charitywatch-hall-of-shame

Well I guess this list of sheisters proves Tim Ballard is a charlatan. What more evidence do we need?

[CA Steve]

1 hour ago, teddyaware said:

Well I guess this list of sheisters proves Tim Ballard is a charlatan. What more evidence do we need?

Well of course it isn't direct evidence against Ballard, something most of us understood. What it is, is a response to your post about him.  Something some of us, obviously, didn't understand.

[the narrator]

Didn't see this posted here, but maybe I missed it. Seems to be a bit of trend going on.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50733006/founder-of-anti-trafficking-group-charged-with-31-felonies-alleging-forgery-theft

[Tacenda]

I guess Kwaku thinks the church denounced Tim because it didn't want this news out. 

[Calm]

https://kutv.com/news/local/exitus-founder-candace-rivera-lierd-asks-for-public-defender-in-advance-of-bail-hearing-human-trafficking

[CA Steve]

Tacenda,

 

I think an important difference between the Ballard case and the McConkie case is that Ballard is accused of using President Ballard's name unacceptably.

Does McConkie hold any current position in the church that would warrant the church itself issuing a comment? 

Looks like Kwacku is just looking to score points online. No surprise there.

Edited September 21, 2023 by CA Steve

[Calm]

7 minutes ago, CA Steve said:

Tacenda,

 

I think the difference between the Ballard case and the McConkie case is that Ballard is accused of using President Balland's name unacceptably.

Does McConkie hold any current position in the church that would warrant the church itself issuing a comment? 

Looks like Kwacku is just looking to score points online. No surprise there.

https://www.kktv.com/2023/09/15/former-deputy-district-attorney-colorado-suspected-child-sex-assault/
 

I don’t remember the Church making comments about criminal arrests, even in the case of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, a good thing because it could create problems with getting a fair trial.

I vaguely remember the Church mentioning cases where the suspect was using church connections or namedropping of leaders before, but I may be confusing the Newsroom with DeseretNews.  And I can’t remember names to test my memory.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Calm

[smac97]

5 hours ago, MustardSeed said:

Sometimes I’m jarred by the departure from what I believe is “I feel like I belong amongst other members of the church”- when I hear this type of fringe tendency I think “what am I doing here!” 

Communication with dead prophets? I mean, if we’re going to communicate with dead people let’s communicate with Einstein or da Vinci. Oh for goodness sake, let’s talk to Prince. Why dead prophets of all things? My goodness we put church leaders on such a pedestal.

I find it bizarre that Tim Ballard may have turned to a psychic, while at the same time had a friendship/association with Pres. Ballard, who in 2017 said this:

Quote

We must be careful where our footsteps in life take us. We must be watchful and heed the counsel of Jesus to His disciples as He answered these questions: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

 

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man [and I add woman] deceive you.”9

 

Today I repeat earlier counsel from Church leaders.

 

Brothers and sisters, keep the doctrine of Christ pure and never be deceived by those who tamper with the doctrine. The gospel of the Father and the Son was restored through Joseph Smith, the prophet for this last dispensation.

 

Do not listen to those who have not been ordained and/or set apart to their Church calling and are not acknowledged by common consent of the members of the Church.10

 

Be aware of organizations, groups, or individuals claiming secret answers to doctrinal questions that they say today’s apostles and prophets do not have or understand.

Do not listen to those who entice you with get-rich schemes. Our members have lost far too much money, so be careful.

 

In some places, too many of our people are looking beyond the mark and seeking secret knowledge in expensive and questionable practices to provide healing and support.

 

An official Church statement, issued one year ago, states: “We urge Church members to be cautious about participating in any group that promises—in exchange for money—miraculous healings or that claims to have special methods for accessing healing power outside of properly ordained priesthood holders.”11

 

The Church Handbook counsels: “Members should not use medical or health practices that are ethically or legally questionable. Local leaders should advise members who have health problems to consult with competent professional practitioners who are licensed in the countries where they practice.”12

 

Brothers and sisters, be wise and aware that such practices may be emotionally appealing but may ultimately prove to be spiritually and physically harmful.

___________

9. Matthew 24:3–4.

10. See Doctrine and Covenants 26:2; 28:13; 43:6–7.

11. Church spokesman Eric Hawkins, Sept. 2016.

12. Handbook 2, 21.3.6.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Calm]

Found an example, I thought it would be buried in recent news, but nope.

Quote

The LDS church said Monday Stevenson, who is now a member of the faith's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, had no knowledge of the two men or their actions.

"The Church alerted authorities as soon as it learned of the matter," said church spokesman Eric Hawkins, "and Elder Stevenson has provided a statement to prosecutors confirming he was not involved in this brazen scheme, which attempted to misuse the good name of the church and the office of the Presiding Bishop."

https://kutv.com/news/local/2-men-using-lds-churchs-name-identity-of-leaders-charged-with-fraud

[BlueDreams]

18 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I guess Kwaku thinks the church denounced Tim because it didn't want this news out. 

I'm confused by the connection. G. Mcconkie has little/no name recognition beyond his last name being the same as a long dead influential apostle. I found 2 articles local to colorado covering this and he's already been nabbed. There's no real PR concern to manage that I can tell. Tim Ballard has a popular movie based on him, has made national headlines more than once, likely has some cooky practices tied loosely to his LDS beliefs, and peddles in influence/connections to make money, one of those being a tie to a living apostle. This seems like comparing apples and oranges and I'm not sure what kwaku sees as the connection here.

 

With luv,

BD

[smac97]

2 hours ago, the narrator said:

Didn't see this posted here, but maybe I missed it. Seems to be a bit of trend going on.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50733006/founder-of-anti-trafficking-group-charged-with-31-felonies-alleging-forgery-theft

Oh, wow.  A few thoughts.

1. Ms. Lierd is 37, but she has racked up a huge number of legal issues.  35 moving/traffic violations (speeding, following too close, driving on a suspended license, etc.), six debt collection actions (totaling judgments of more than $30k), a contentious divorce in 2018 (involving multiple attempts, by both parties, for protective orders (where Ms. Lierd was repeatedly found to be not "credible," and in which Ms. Lierd violated a protective order, and even dueling divorce petitions), three (3) eviction actions between 2020 and 2022, a substantial contract dispute ($128k), a felony charge in May 2023 (passing a bad check) and then the multiple (31!) felony charges in September.

2. Here is a link to the "Probable Cause Affidavit" in relation to the 31 felony charges (see also here).  14 pages long.  It makes for very depressing reading, both because it describes what Ms. Lierd did, how much money she absconded with, how many lies she told, and the near total lack of any financial oversight by Exitus (the non-profit "anti-trafficking" entity).

3. It appears that in May 2022 she used a large portion of the money she stole as a down payment for a big house in Lehi, Utah.  A foreclosure proceeding was initiated on September 1.

4. I can't help but think that the apparent dysfunction/malfeasance we are seeing in OUR and Exitus reflect a broader problem I have noted previously, namely, widespread corruption and malfeasance in non-profit entities focusing on humanitarian efforts, which is one of the reasons I believe the Church is fairly cautious in this sector:

Quote

My sense, though, is that the Church - particularly the Presiding Bishopric - is very careful in partnering with other groups.  Purported charitable groups, NGOs and such are well known for all sorts of corruption, mismanagement, and so on.  By way of example, take a look at the dumpster fire that is California's homeless crisis.  They're spending billions, and the problem is just getting worse, largely because the groups that are receiving those billions have a vested interest in keeping that cash cow alive as long as possible, and so - ironically - are incentivized to make homelessness issues last as long as possible.  The Brethren are aware of this, and so vet potential partners carefully.  I think that the Church has plenty of money to spend, but not a sufficient number of trustworthy/competent partners to spend it on.

AFAICS, the Church has never partnered with Exitus.  

5. The Probable Cause Affidavit includes this statement:

Quote

On September 1, 2023, P.O.A. received a telephone call from JP Morgan Chase Bank's fraud department. She was informed that a total of $19,000 had been spent on an Exitus credit card bearing P.O.A.'s name and wanted to confirm the charges. Among the charges posted to the credit account was approximately $7,000 to purchase a vehicle at Asay Automotive, Venmo, and various cash advances. P.O.A. stated that she did not make any of these purchases but noted that Candace recently purchased a Toyota 4-Runner for her eldest son from Asay Auto and made a social media post memorializing this purchase. P.O.A. was told by JP Morgan staff that the application for a credit card account may be fraudulent itself.

The social media post is on FB, but I won't link to it because it shows her son.

Yeesh.

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited September 21, 2023 by smac97

[BlueDreams]

11 minutes ago, Calm said:

Found an example, I thought it would be buried in recent news, but nope.

https://kutv.com/news/local/2-men-using-lds-churchs-name-identity-of-leaders-charged-with-fraud

I assume it's tied to the type of crime or problem and how directly it ties to the name or influence of the church that pulls out the PR department. Which makes sense to me. Members of the church do bad things isn't much a surprise. Turns out we're still human. Members of the church doing corrupt things in the name or influence of the church...that's another thing all together. 

 

With luv,

BD 

[The Nehor]

53 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I guess Kwaku thinks the church denounced Tim because it didn't want this news out. 

I think this Kwaku person might be a quack.

[Calm]

1 hour ago, CA Steve said:

Tacenda,

 

I think the difference between the Ballard case and the McConkie case is that Ballard is accused of using President Balland's name unacceptably.

Does McConkie hold any current position in the church that would warrant the church itself issuing a comment? 

Looks like Kwacku is just looking to score points online. No surprise there.

Is there any evidence a news organization reached out to the Church for a statement in the case of McConkie?

The Church did not choose the timing of the Vice article or the need to release a statement.  Tim Ballard is going to be imo a much bigger black eye for the Church than David McConkie could have been because of the level of interest in the case, so to suggest Church MR grabbed the opportunity to drown the minor news case in the massive reaction of the Ballard case seems nonsensical to me, even with the McConkie connection.  I think if they were so inclined, they would work at keeping the Church and Elder Ballard’s name out of the news as much as possible as opposed to protecting a grandson of a man who died almost 40 years ago, no matter how loved and admired by many in the Church.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Calm

[Calm]

Candace Lierd is apparently not a member of the Church and has been critical of the Church in the past, so it looks like this will likely be limited to “Crazy Utahn”.  Got the info from Reddit from a person who claims to know her and I don’t link to Reddit if I can help it.  Since the source is anonymous, I don’t see a need.

[Calm]

44 minutes ago, BlueDreams said:

I assume it's tied to the type of crime or problem and how directly it ties to the name or influence of the church that pulls out the PR department. Which makes sense to me. Members of the church do bad things isn't much a surprise. Turns out we're still human. Members of the church doing corrupt things in the name or influence of the church...that's another thing all together. 

 

With luv,

BD 

It seems to be pretty consistent if it’s affinity fraud and the perpetrators name dropped church leaders’ names or made other clear connections to the Church.  Not only does this connect the Church with the actual crime, so the Church needs to go on record it is not connected, these are cases where the Church has direct, firsthand knowledge that can help establish the truth.  This is very different than cases where they would just be relaying what they were told, which could be confidential or better sourced from someone with firsthand knowledge of a case.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Calm

[ttribe]

17 minutes ago, Calm said:

It seems to be pretty consistent if it’s affinity fraud and the perpetrators name dropped church leaders’ names or made other clear connections to the Church.  Not only does this connect the Church with the actual crime, so the Church needs to go on record it is not connected, these are cases where the Church has direct, firsthand knowledge that can help establish the truth.  This is very different than cases where they would just be relaying what they were told, which could be confidential or better sourced from someone with firsthand knowledge of a case.

I wrote this 11 years ago. It's still very relevant:

http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/publication/?i=115428&p=13

[ttribe]

5 hours ago, teddyaware said:

Well I guess this list of sheisters proves Tim Ballard is a charlatan. What more evidence do we need?

Don't be ridiculous. My response was not offered as "proof" that "Tim Ballard is a charlatan." It was offered in rebuttal of your reasoning that people's perception of Tim Ballard as a man of conscience is somehow relevant to the allegations at hand.

[smac97]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

Candace Lierd is apparently not a member of the Church and has been critical of the Church in the past, so it looks like this will likely be limited to “Crazy Utahn”.  Got the info from Reddit from a person who claims to know her and I don’t link to Reddit if I can help it.  Since the source is anonymous, I don’t see a need.

This is interesting: Candace Lierd has a Facebook page under the name Rivera Candace.  Includes this video:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/3488106688069370

It apparently shows Ms. Lierd, styled as "Founder, Exitus," giving a presentation at a "Human Trafficking" conference hosted by the Attorney General of Virginia.  This was apparently on August 28 or 29.  Another video on her FB page shows a partial image of the schedule for the event, with dates on August 28-29.  Per this news item, the event took place this year, just a few weeks ago.

This other video also shows an open pamphlet about the conference, turned to the page about "Candace Rivera."  The resolution is not very good, but it appears to be mostly cribbed from the "About" section of her personal website.  Here is I think what it says:

Quote

Candace Rivera is the Founder and CEO of Exitus, an anti-human trafficking organization that operates domestically in the United States, with additional international projects creating _______________ care for exploited individuals. Candace has been a successful leader in Healthcare and Business Development and is an accomplished international (?) Medical Advocate for trafficked women (?) and children in crisis.  Candace is a frequent collaborator and chairholder within UN Collaborative Taskforces, with a special interest in refugee and exploitation care, and frequently collaborates in Middle East, Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe.  Most recently, she has been a Chief Advisory Consultant with Homeland Security investigations in the creation, ________________ and __________________ of exploitation operations across State and Federal agencies with private sector collaboration.  She has successfully created spaces for those seeking ______________, developing young women and business leaders, as well as was honored as Wasatch Women's Up & Coming Woman of the Year, the 100 Women Who Care 2021 Impact Award Winner, and is currently an expert affiliate for KUTV Channel 2 Trafficking in Utah Series.  Candace is also the creator of 3 International Market Companies, an International Speaker, and a Leader in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with incorporation in female entrepreneurship and the development of underserved populations and minority demographics.

Looks like she's duped the Virginia Attorney General and a bunch of other organizations. 

Here is an Instagram post of her with the "Utah Valley 100 Women Who Care 2021 Impact Award"

Her Instagram page includes this photo  of her posing as some sort of healthcare provider (using a stethoscope on a child), apparently in Ukraine.

And this message, apparently posted on Good Friday:

Quote

Jesus stood in the gap, because He knew I couldn’t.
I will never be ashamed to say how much I desperately need Jesus. It will always be a Good Friday, because He knew- He did it for me.
Jesus cried out ‘why have you forsaken me’ so we would never have to experience rejection from the Father. It’s that actionable love- Unconditional, Sacrificial, Reckless love saying ‘I will stand in the gap for you, at the highest cost’.

It’s Friday.
But Sunday is coming.
#goodfriday

This post includes a link to her personal website, https://candacerivera.com/.  

Her speaking fees are $3,000 for non-profit events and $5,000 for corporate events.  She also has "Coaching & Consulting" topics, including 

• Women and Finances
• Personal Development
• Business Development
• Entrepreneurship
• Non-Profit Creation

She also includes hourly "sessions" with her for $250/hour ($200 during the "Fall Sale"), an 8-week course for $1,440, or a monthly course for $1,000 per month (six-month commitment).

Her "In the Media" page is interesting:

Anti-human trafficking activists encourage BYU students to become trauma informed

The article includes a statement from Ms. Lierd that is, um, kind of ironic (bolded) :

Quote

BYU’s Anti-Human Trafficking Club members organized a “Stop Abuse Summit” on Nov. 17, with a speaker panel featuring Desi Garcia, CEO of Candle in a Dark Room and Candace Rivera, founder of Exitus.

One in 200 people in Utah are being trafficked, Rivera said. Most often, human trafficking affects vulnerable populations such as Indigenous people, the LGBTQ community and any person living in poverty. Human trafficking is a “vast field,” Rivera said, including sexual, physical, organ harvesting, labor and business related abuse. 

“Trafficking happens everywhere and it looks exactly the same. It’s exploitation and manipulation of someone who’s incredibly vulnerable,” Rivera said.

Rivera explained that many people who want to get involved don’t fully understand how to help these vulnerable communities. She told a story about being in Kenya for her organization, Exitus, and seeing layers of paint on the wall of a local church. When she inquired about the paint, she said she was told the paint jobs were done by the summertime youth groups. Rivera explained this particular community was more than 12 miles away from the nearest water source, noting the walk there was often dangerous. 

“If you do not ask these people what they need, you will have the best of intentions and you want to do wonderful things, but you will end up painting a church wall 14 times when really all that effort could have been digging into two, three, four wells and actually really giving these people what they need,” Rivera said. 

She said trafficking victims in Utah need affordable housing and aftercare programs which include therapy and mentoring to deal with substance abuse and mental illness. Rivera said 90% of victims return to trafficking situations. 

“How do we make a difference? You start with one. Provide exit for one,” Rivera said. 

Rivera said anyone wanting to make a difference should listen to the stories of survivors, learn about the housing situation in the local area, become informed on signs of abuse and speak up about human trafficking. 

This from a person who apparently absconded with hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to help trafficking victims.

Most of the other articles and videos are all by KUTV, many of which come across as almost commercials for Exitus.

She also offers classes (the second one is, um, ironic) :

Quote

Get It, Girl

In this group course Candace takes you and a small tribe of women through the growing pains of finally deciding that trying to fit in everywhere, with everything, and to everyone is just plain exhausting!

Let's redefine who you thought you should be and create who you truly want to be.

A Girl's Guide to Handling the Cash

Gain the skills to understand your money! Always know where your money goes, how much is coming in, and save money with a purpose.

Learn valuable toolsets to help you in budgeting and managing your finances so your money works for YOU! 

Be a Leader, Girl
Personal and Professional Training

Learn the methods, behaviors, and mindset to make forward pushes in your career.

Identify what sets you apart. (Your secret sauce!)

Get to know how being a woman gives you tons of advantages and learn how to use that knowledge to ask for a higher salary and greater leadership opportunities.

Then there is her page about "DE&I {Diversity, Equity & Inclusion} and Business Dev," which includes the following banners (under "My Passions") :

• Writing Words You've Needed
• Advocating for Women
• Leading People to Jesus
• Inviting People Into My Life and Heart

Here's the blurb:

Quote

Are you interested in DE&I training that's not dry and boring?

Candace has spoken around the world at conferences, retreats, corporate events, and non-profit events.

Lessons learned from being a successful leader in Business Development, an International Medical Advocate for trafficked humans and orphans in crisis, and as a member of a UN Collaborative Taskforce, Candace is an expert in many fields.

So, whether you're organization is looking for a speaker on refugee and exploitation care, business development, leadership skills, helping end human trafficking, women and finances, or the heart-centered healing Candace advocates for, you'll love having Candace at your next event.

With humor and grace, Candace recounts lessons learned throughout her career and personal life. She is a friendly face and fierce advocate for the hurting and broken-hearted.

Here's her blurb from the "About" section of her website:

Quote

Candace is a single mom of 2 busy boys, living in Utah. She has a passion for the rescue of the broken. She is a voice for those whose voices have been quieted.

Candace has been a successful leader in Healthcare and Business Development and is an accomplished International Medical Advocate for trafficked humans and orphans in crisis. She is a member of a UN Collaborative Taskforce, with a special interest in refugee and exploitation care.

She has successfully created spaces for those seeking more, developing young women and mothers, business leaders, and Fortune 500 Companies; as well as was honored as Wasatch Women's Up & Coming Woman of the Year, the 100 Women Who Care 2021 Impact Award Winner and is currently the consulting organization for KUTV Channel 2 Trafficking in Utah Series.

Candace is the Brand House Owner of CR House & Co Brands, and while her passion and joy can be found in her brand, her greatest joy is found within being the CEO and Founder of Exitus, an anti-human trafficking non-profit organization.

With humor and grace, Candace recounts lessons learned through infancy loss, cancer, and betrayal through divorce. She is a friendly face and fierce advocate for the hurting and broken-hearted.

This is the image on her "Contact Us" page (again, pretty ironic) :

Here's an excerpt from one of her FB posts:

Quote

Leave a legacy, sis. And make sure you enjoy it while you’re leaving it.

Yeesh.

-Smac

Edited September 21, 2023 by smac97

[The Nehor]

2 hours ago, the narrator said:

Didn't see this posted here, but maybe I missed it. Seems to be a bit of trend going on.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50733006/founder-of-anti-trafficking-group-charged-with-31-felonies-alleging-forgery-theft

I am sure that those defending or suggesting that we don’t have the facts yet on Tim Ballard will be here shortly to defend this person too.

Any second now. Yep, any second.

[Calm]

4 minutes ago, smac97 said:

This is interesting: Candace Lierd has a Facebook page under the name Rivera Candace….

Here's her blurb from the "About" 

 

I want to know her actual background is, how she managed to con people as much as she did, how many others were involved in the company and/or scam, and if she did anything besides talk and appropriate money.

The photos on Exitus FB profile has a gala fundraising and this tidbit, so it looks like Exitus is a smaller version of OUR.

[The Nehor]

7 minutes ago, Calm said:

I want to know her actual background is, how she managed to con people as much as she did, how many others were involved in the company and/or scam, and if she did anything besides talk and appropriate money.

The photos on Exitus FB profile has a gala fundraising and this tidbit, so it looks like Exitus is a smaller version of OUR.

Of course they focused on busting in armed to nab the bad guys. It is not a common approach because it is rarely warranted. Hence why OUR often had to set up their stings by offering to buy or rent kids.

[smac97]

37 minutes ago, Calm said:

I want to know her actual background is, how she managed to con people as much as she did, how many others were involved in the company and/or scam, and if she did anything besides talk and appropriate money.

The photos on Exitus FB profile has a gala fundraising and this tidbit, so it looks like Exitus is a smaller version of OUR.

I think the impulse to donate to outfits like OUR and Exitus is wonderful, but without more (investigation by the donor), this is also naïve and flawed.  Nonprofits are disturbingly prone to this sort of corruption.  I commented on this in March:

Quote

The first paragraph has been part of my speculation for quite a while now: "Church investments may be growing faster than the Church's ability to to give away a meaningful portion in humanitarian aid."  In other words, the Church cannot, on its own, deploy its resources on the tremendous scales involved when speaking of such vast sums of money.  It must, instead, work with various philanthropic and humanitarian groups.  That seems like a great thing, but those groups need to be vetted.  Heavily vetted.  Problems with such groups are, unfortunately, legion:

• Nonprofit Risk Management Center: A Violation of Trust: Fraud Risk in Nonprofit Organizations
• The Hauser Center: An Investigation of Fraud in Nonprofit Organizations: Occurrences and Deterrents
• FAU College of Business: Non-Profits Fraud
• Philanthropy News Digest: Fraud and Abuse in Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Prevention and Detection
• Nonprofit Pro: Why Nonprofits Are More Vulnerable to Fraud Than For-Profit Businesses
• New York Times: Are You Familiar With Wrongdoing Among Nonprofit Groups?
• The Globe Post: No Real Saints: How Nonprofits Take Advantage of Americans
• Procurement Express: Why Corruption in The NGO World Alienates Donors
• Taylor & Francis Online: Malfeasance in the Charitable Sector: Determinants of “Soft” Corruption at Nonprofit Organizations
• FBI: Charity and Disaster Fraud
• Britannica: Charity Fraud
• Wikipedia: Charity Fraud
• U.S. Attorney's Office (Missouri) : Springfield Health Care Charity Pays More Than $8 Million Related to Federal Embezzlement, Bribery Investigation
• CharityWatch: CharityWatch Hall of Shame: The Personalities Behind Charity Scandals
• Univ. of Dayton Law School: Fraud and Corruption in U.S. Nonprofit Entities: A Summary of Press Reports 2008-2011

And many, many more.

The second point is also noteworthy: "To give billions in direct aid, the Church may also need to set up a separate, global organization with secular governance."  They cite the Red Cross as an example of an organization that is large (35,000 employees) and skill and experience in terms of "global personnel infrastructure to ensure compliance with local laws, managing hiring and volunteers ... prevent{ing} graft or illicit uses of funds, administer{ing} measurement and reporting, maintain{ing} financial controls, manag{ing} people safety and provid{ing} transparent reporting."

That sounds great.  And since the Red Cross was founded 160 years ago, that seems like plenty of time for them to get their ducks completely in a row.  And yet:

ProPublica: 10 Disturbing Things ProPublica/NPR Learned Investigating the Red Cross’ Sandy Relief Efforts
...
NPR: In Search Of The Red Cross' $500 Million In Haiti Relief
...

Lots and lots of waste and incompetence here.  By the Red Cross.  This despite being "in the game" for 160 years.

I wonder how newer and less-established and less-credentialed NGOs and such would fare if the Church became sugar daddy to their efforts.  Risks of corruption, waste, incompetence, etc. would be pretty significant.
...

I would love to see a logistical framework for the Church's resources to be put to more and good use.  But proper stewardship requires proper oversight, and facilitating oversight creates bureaucracy and expense.  So I think the Widow's Mite folks might need to be a bit more forthcoming in what they think the Church ought to do (which, ironically, is what Prof. Anderson said they aren't trying to do).  Setting up a website with nifty graphics outlining their critique of the Church is all well and good, but it also has a decent amount of "Armchair Quarterbacking" in it.  Do any of these folks have any experience in administering international aid programs on a scale commensurate with the Church's resources?  I suspect . . . not.  And yet they are quite free in offering unsolicited advice that pretty much boils down to "Show Us More!" and "Give Your Money Away!"

If the Widow's Mite folks were truly interested in assisting the Church to improve its humanitarian efforts, I would hope they would take a more constructive stance, as opposed to the barbed, "arm-twisting," "let's see if we can shame the Church into doing what we want it to" approach reflected in their website.

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited September 21, 2023 by smac97

[Calm]

24 minutes ago, smac97 said:

I think the impulse to donate to outfits like OUR and Exitus is wonderful, but without more (investigation by the donor), this is also naïve and flawed.  Nonprofits are disturbingly prone to this sort of corruption.  I commented on this in March:

Thanks,

-Smac

I have always been quite content with the way the Church approaches giving by seeing first what needs to be done and then who is doing it and if possible, finding a relatively trustworthy, effective partner, choosing to partner with them rather than compete for resources and access.  No wasting time trying to establish creds or the newcomer taking attention and resources away from those who had been working hard.  And where they could needed to be at the forefront, making an all out effort like the Clean Water Project that uses (or at least used) BYU developed technology that made it much easier to transport tech needed for digging wells to hard to get to places.

I heard one of the early attempts of the Church to help feed kids in Latin America resulted in the economy of a town being damaged, leaving families worse off in the end rather than better.  I assume this and other similar cases were  why the Church switched to a charity method where provided resources like a well could be maintained by locals and ensured it would be as much as possible rather than the Church being the full provider and the only maintainer of a project.  This prevents the locals from becoming dependent on the Church with the major downsides that come with that.  What if the Church had used well equipment that needed constant supervision by trained volunteers and then had to pull those volunteers out of the country because of war or plague.  Can you imagine what would have happened to a village dealing with both Covid and restriction of their water supply because no one knew how to run the machinery?

I have also been very concerned watching the speed of growth of OUR over the past years.  I was concerned about their ability to get qualified people to cover ever growing departments even if numerous untrained volunteers might be available as well as the need to establish solid connections for their projects.  Their grab and dash method just didn’t seem likely to create strong legal cases, which can take time to establish, especially in areas with high corruption nor did it seem likely to create bonds of trust and respect between OUR and local law enforcement, which would take time and effort, including finding trustworthy or at least pretty decent officers and helping them get into positions where they can do something about the criminals.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Calm

[Calm]

5 hours ago, the narrator said:

Didn't see this posted here, but maybe I missed it. Seems to be a bit of trend going on.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50733006/founder-of-anti-trafficking-group-charged-with-31-felonies-alleging-forgery-theft

Also

https://ksltv.com/587891/friends-volunteers-and-donors-feel-duped-by-exitus-ceo-arrested-for-fraud/

Quote

According to the Utah AG, Lierd faked documents to lie about being a registered nurse and used those false credentials for speaking engagements and for working with orphaned children in a medical capacity.

She also allegedly falsely said she held a position with the United Nations and was featured on BBC news.

Those who knew her said they were not aware of what Lierd allegedly did, and have called her a “con artist.”

Did she have a nursing background or just a good con artist?

Quote

She helped in anti-human trafficking operations, including one during the NBA All-Star weekend that Morgan said truly did take place. KSL TV ran a story with Lierd about their plans, and Morgan said they were able to save real people that weekend.

Quote

She expressed that Exitus volunteers, staff, and survivor advocates were amazing, passionate, and incredible to work with.

“We were doing great things,” Morgan said. “Like I went out and did outreach, and that was very impactful for me.”

Morgan began to see issues with Lierd, but said that Lierd always had an explanation or an answer that made it easy to trust what Lierd was saying.

Plus, Lierd worked with many reputable organizations and people in the community. She said even the US Department of Homeland Security worked with Lierd.

“I had sat in Homeland Security’s office with her, and it was like, who am I to question this person who’s done all of these incredible things?” Morgan said….

“There were always red flags, but I so wanted to believe,” she said, discussing the anti-human trafficking cause. “She did just enough good. And we would see that, that we would keep believing.”

Sounds like Lierd was a good con artist and not really committed to the cause if it was “just enough good”.  I think Ballard is committed to the cause, but likely sees himself as deserving of the money and attention for doing such heroic things.

Are the people who who typically these kinds of operations not that professional so HS accepted her for what she was and didn’t catch on.  But don’t they run background checks in the first place?

Quote

Crafts traveled to Ukraine with Lierd and Exitus in 2022 to help orphans. She spoke to KSL TV last year about her life-changing experience.

“While I was in Ukraine with Exitus, I felt like I personally did a lot of good work,” Crafts said. “And there were several other volunteers that were there, that did the same wonderful work.”

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Calm