Way back in December we wondered where the US Attorney might be in this matter. Turns out the feds started sniffing around Gloria King about the same time we did, in February.
There are facts to this matter that all parties wanted to keep under wraps. The United Way’s problem is not that King spent money, willy-nilly all over town, it is that she spent too much money willy-nilly all over town. This was part and parcel of a Caligulan corporate mind-set in this town for the better part of a decade, one that tickled every fancy, no matter the cost.
The expenses the UW’s lawyers are leaking out and claiming to be questionable tally around $50,000. Serious money, yes, especially for a charity. But this went on for years. The UW board knew of King’s spending habits, but kept finding ways to throw more money at her as annual fund drives pulled millions more out of local sources.
Besides, does the Uptown crowd really want the FBI and the IRS to start double-checking the “business purpose” of millions in expenses on bankers’ expense accounts, say from 2005 through 2008? Didn’t think so.
What the US Attorney and any grand jury should consider is asking the question, In what ways did the United Way operation in Charlotte under King and legally responsible board members function as an extortion conspiracy? A protection racket demands money under threat of physical or financial harm. We can tell by the tasselled-loafers that the former was right out, but the latter…how many thousands of white-collar workers in Charlotte could attest to being told to give money to a United Way campaign — or else?
Let’s see if Edward Ryan takes this matter remotely seriously — and starts building a RICO case against those responsible for the shakedowns which funded King’s lavish spending. Without the millions the thousands do not get spent.
