Part 2 - Cover Up at the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
Earlier this week we reported on a Baltimore Maryland group called The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. We reported on this group, also called SCDAA, and how it has received millions of Federal tax dollars, and millions of dollars from Pharmaceutical interest with little Federal or state charity oversight.
We have been concerned about the sickle cell organization because of how the disease impacts black folks, and how this national organization seems to have failed to inform the general public that sickle cell disease has not been cured. (The publisher of the Black Rip Off Report has sickle cell trait, so this is an important topic to the publisher).
This group has failed to organize as compared to other organizations like, the American Cancer Society, Susan B. Komen Race for
It's a shame this national sickle cell organization cannot even put together a information product on Sickle Cell like the one below:
Our sources indicate the groups Acting CEO, Board Chair and board members have discussed our blog post and are in damage control mode. They still are still refusing to provide it's SCDAA membership with audited financial report management letter (which just may outline the misappropriation of funds, poor financial management and other audit concerns). One has to wonder, why all the secrecy from member organizations?
Some are concerned that the "cat is out of the bag," regarding the grant of $20,000 received by the organization in 2008 from Novartis Pharmaceuticals. They are now trying to find a way to explain to their membership how this missing $20,000 is not a misappropriation of funds but rather just poor financial management by the former CEO.
They are also concerned that other financial issues, misappropriation, poor financial management, independent audit findings, including the lack of responding to previous findings by a Federal program audit report will come back to haunt the organization.
Word on the street is the Acting CEO, Elizabeth Simpson and the Chairman of the Board, Atty Duane Bruce are both in maximum cover-up mode regarding the missing $20,000 that was received from Novartis Pharmaceuticals via check in 2008.
Elizabeth Simpson
Duane Bruce
Our sources indicate none of the member organizations where aware Novartis Pharmaceuticals provided $20,000 to SCDAA to update the website in 2008, as an added resource for SCDAA, it's member organizations and the general public.
Our sources indicate
One Source at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, who requested not to be named, said: "The SCDAA was an organization full of potential many years ago, but has been stagnated by a poorly functioning board, lack of staffing, lack of executive direction, and lack of real and significant membership involvement in decision-making at the national level."
Our contact also said: " Novartis has been interested in funding local SCDAA affiliates for some time, we have asked SCDAA to develop a strategy and program, but they have failed to provide one for the past 9 months." The contact went on to say, "I'm not sure if the board actually engaged the member organizations to let them know of our interest. We know local SCDAA member organizations are in funding crisis, and we wanted to help them out"
The Black Rip Off Report has requested a copy of the groups current financial statement from the Acting CEO, Elizabeth Simpson and the Chairman of the Board, Atty Duane Bruce, Assistant Regional Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Kansas City office.
Here is what we wrote:
ESimpson@sicklecelldisease.org
Duane.Bruce@hhs.gov
As you know under section 6-410 of the Maryland Solicitations Act, a charitable organization must mail within 30 days after receiving a request, a current financial statement at no charge.
The financial statement must contain:
- (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the charitable organization;
(2) The amount of total revenue, the amount of total revenue received from charitable contributions, and the amount and percentage of total revenue spent for the charity's management and general expenses, fund-raising expenses, and program expenses for the most recently completed fiscal year.
We hereby make request for the financial report.
We also request that you provide with within 30 days a copy of an organization's IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ satisfies the financial statement requirement of section 6-410.
Please provide these requested documents as required by Federal and state law. They can be emailed to me via PDF file at: blackripoffreport@gmail.com
Black Rip Off Report***
Look out for our informative, responsible, hard hitting, Part 3 of our 3 part series, when we receive the financial reports from this group.
They (the American Sickle Cell Disease Association) should hope the
We are tired of black folks ripping off blacks!
BREAKING UPDATE: It appears the Obama administration, through one of his Federal agencies, has taken an interest in this story. Citizen Journalism is a wonderful thing. We have not even put this report on blast yet. There are some on the right who would have a field day with this story.
The Black Rip Off Report plans to place this report "on blast" through internet portals such as
Wow! Now we have the Obama administration taking interest in just two days, marvelous.
More later!
Read more on the Sickle Cell Association crisis below:
