SMFH - Smoking Gun exposes Wyclef's shady charity finances
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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.
No further description of these services was offered, though the return claimed that "the fees paid are below market" and that the use of Telemax was the "most efficient way of providing these services." The group's tax returns also report "consultant" payments totaling $300,000 between 2005-2007, while the 2006 return reported nearly $225,000 in "promotion and PR" costs. These expenses are not itemized further in the IRS returns.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0114102wyclef1.html
SMH Clef......your charity accepts donations so it can stage a benefit concert THEN PAY YOU TO PLAY SAID CONCERT?!
GLAD I DONATED ELSEWHERE.
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.
No further description of these services was offered, though the return claimed that "the fees paid are below market" and that the use of Telemax was the "most efficient way of providing these services." The group's tax returns also report "consultant" payments totaling $300,000 between 2005-2007, while the 2006 return reported nearly $225,000 in "promotion and PR" costs. These expenses are not itemized further in the IRS returns.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0114102wyclef1.html
SMH Clef......your charity accepts donations so it can stage a benefit concert THEN PAY YOU TO PLAY SAID CONCERT?!
GLAD I DONATED ELSEWHERE.
Comments
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Red Cross is still way worse.
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Wow I didnt know that. I was just giving him props at the barbershop today.(even gave money to his ? ) What the hell does the red cross has to do with this.
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its cost money to run a non-profit organization and the events they host to raise money
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but why would wyclef wanna scheme in a time like this when people are dying by the thousands in hs native country... thats some ? i dont believe clef would do something like that
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Tell black folks anything and they will believe it. why is his organization the only one being probed? i will continue to support his organization, i have seen with my own eyes his dedication and commitment to the people of Haiti.
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but why would wyclef wanna scheme in a time like this when people are dying by the thousands in hs native country... thats some ? i dont believe clef would do something like that
Lol I hate when ppl say stuff like that. Cause you know him personally you can vouch for the man??? I totally understand what you are saying though, but I don't put this kinda ? past anybody -
n 2005, Jean established the Yéle Haiti Foundation. In its first year of operation, the foundation, with funding by Comcel, provided scholarships to 3,600 children in Gonaïves, Haiti, after the devastation by Hurricane Jeanne. In its second year of operation, it is almost doubling the amount of the scholarships and spreading them throughout Haiti, providing tuition in 5 regions. The foundation aims to provide 6,800 scholarships to children in Port-au-Prince, Gonaïves, Les Cayes, Port-de-Paix, and Cap-Haïtien. Yéle Haiti, and its predecessor the Wyclef Jean Foundation, have been involuntarily dissolved by the the Florida Division of Corporations on multiple occasions for failing to file required state disclosure reports.[19] Of the $1,142,944 in total revenue the foundation collected in 2006, at least $410,000 was paid directly to Jean and his business partner for rent, production services, and Jean's appearance at a benefit concert.[20]
In a 2009 interview with Allhiphop.com writer Han O'Connor, Wyclef stated that his priority for the organization was to raise money to build the Yéle Center, which would be a facility that consists of a sports center, Wyclef Jean School of the Arts, a cultural center focusing on the environment and an internet café. During the interview he claimed that he feels the key to improving the situation in Haiti is to build sustainable opportunity. [21]
After the earthquake on January 12, 2010 in Haiti, Jean called on others to donate to his foundation's Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund, imploring "We must act now. -
Created in response to food shortages and rioting in Haiti, Together for Haiti is a partnership between Yéle Haiti, the United Nations World Food Programme, and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). Both a fundraising and awareness campaign, its mission is to provide much needed resources for three crucial programs in Haiti:
- Targeted Food Distribution - Expand WFP's existing food assistance program for children under five and pregnant women, continue existing school meal programs through summer vacation, and organize voucher-based food distribution of dry food to the neediest families.
- Immediate Employment Creation - Create Labor-intensive employment opportunities that will support expanding agricultural production, with wages in cash and food.
- Micro-enterprise Grants - Small grants and training for small-scale egg production, vegetable gardens, grain milling, bread production and other related activities.
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and not to mention it was wycleff's Yele` Haiti that is/was responsible for the phone lines 2 b active in haiti...in which hatians outside of haiti can contact there love ones...
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didn't shenanigans like this seem sort of predictable?
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this is the best thing to ever happen to this chump. now hes actually relevant again, 15 years later.
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from the explanation wyclef gave,these claims seems like they just tring to bring him down
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i don't see how Wyclef's explanation indicates this at all, especially since he seems to generally not want to directly address any of the claims.from the explanation wyclef gave,these claims seems like they just tring to bring him down -
i don't see how wyclef's explanation indicates this at all, especially since he seems to generally not want to directly address any of the claims.
whattup jank! -
He took a lil off the top most likely but I feel at this point all of the money will be going to Haiti.
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smmfh...........
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good to see there are still a couple of old timers around. although my stay might be brief, i think.Swiffness! wrote: »whattup jank!
