Business Wire - November 2, 2009
WASHINGTON - On the heels of a recent series of Washington Post articles on widespread mismanagement and corruption in the District of Columbia's HIV/AIDS programs, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today called for a Congressional investigation into the ongoing scandal. The most recent Post article , which appeared Sunday, documented the Health Department's HIV/AIDS Administration's hiring of a convicted felon to manage tens of millions of dollars in HIV/AIDS service contracts in the District, which has the highest AIDS rate in the nation, higher than the rate found in Lagos, Nigeria. The Post reported the District paid $2 million over three years to Beale Inc., a company with no prior HIV/AIDS experience run by Robin Beale, who was convicted in the late 1990s on fraud charges.
As also reported in the newspaper Sunday, "In a two-part series last month, The Post found that the city--with the highest rate of AIDS cases in the nation--had paid millions in recent years to nonprofit groups that couldn't account for their spending or services for people with AIDS. An examination of the Beale Inc. contract shows that problems also extended to consultants, hired for everything from HIV studies to computer support."
"In a city with incredible need for such crucial lifesaving AIDS services, it is truly disheartening to learn of the widespread mismanagement, fraud and corruption in the District's AIDS programs," said Michael Weinstein, President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "We are grateful to the Washington Post and its staff for their ongoing and thorough investigative reporting on this. The underlying corruption and mismanagement of millions of dollars in AIDS services in Washington has spurred AHF to call on Congress today for a full congressional investigation into this scandal."
Among the Post's other findings regarding misspent or unaccounted AIDS funds in Washington outlined in earlier articles include:
* $1.1 million awarded to a housing group whose ailing boarders struggled at times without electricity, gas, or food.
* $530,000 awarded to an AIDS housing program where city inspectors found no business being conducted.
* $400,000 awarded to a nonprofit, launched by a man who once ran one of the District's largest cocaine operations, for a job-training center that has never opened.
About AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS organization. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 120,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. Additional information is available at www.aidshealth.org.
Contacts
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Media Contact: Ged Kenslea
Telephone: (323) 860-5225
Mobile: (323) 791-5526
E-Mail: gedk@aidshealth.org
or
Alternate Media Contact: Lori Yeghiayan
Telephone: (323) 860-5227
Mobile: (323) 377-4312
E-Mail: lori.yeghiayan@aidshealth.org
091102
BW091101
Copyright © 2009 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2009. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2009. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .