Liberal Activist Hit With Federal Charges – She Is Accused of Defrauding Donors And Stealing Benefits
In the past few years, we’ve seen a significant uptick in crimes related to campaigns, donations, and pandemic benefits. It seems a lot of people sought to defraud the government for personal gain.
We’ve also seen several left-wing activists and liberal organizations come under scrutiny for alleged financial issues. This includes Black Lives Matter’s questionable fundraising activities.
Now, a prominent liberal activist is facing multiple federal charges — and so is her husband.
Monica Cannon-Grant, who rose to prominence in Boston following the George Floyd incident, has been vocal about racial justice and participated in protests related to BLM.
But early in March, Cannon-Grant and her husband were arrested by Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office, and both are facing a similar set of charges. Both are related to theft.
In this case, there’s an “alleged scheme to defraud donors” and funnel money toward the couple’s non-profit, Violence in Boston (VIB).
Both defendants are pleading not guilty but if they’re convicted, the punishments could be severe. That’s because they’re both accused of defrauding donors as well as Washington.
Via The Daily Wire (citing a WBUR report):
On Tuesday, Monica Cannon-Grant … pleaded not guilty to ‘defrauding donors to their nonprofit Violence in Boston (VIB), fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related unemployment benefits and making false statements to a mortgage lender.’
The Boston Herald adds that the husband and wife team are accused of “diverting charitable donations to VIB to their personal expenses.”
This includes allegedly using donation funds to spend money on “nail salons, restaurants, food deliveries, hotel reservations, car rentals and auto repairs, among other things.”
Essentially, it sounds like they were living off the money donated to their nonprofit, which is something we’ve unfortunately heard before. It’s apparently all too easy to take donations and use them for yourself.
Furthermore, the U.S. Attorney’s office said the defendants wouldn’t disclose whether or not they’d used VIB funds for these personal expenses.
But the charges don’t stop there:
The Herald further reports that the couple has been accused of “conspiracy with access to federal pandemic unemployment benefits.” On top of that, they’re also charged with mortgage fraud:
The couple are also charged with defrauding a mortgage company by submitting ‘false information and fraudulent documentation,’ allegedly listing the bank account and financial assets of VIB as their own, on a mortgage application.
For her part, Cannon-Grant claims other black leaders were just “jealous of her meteoric rise” and “partnered with white supremacy to bring her down.”
She will undoubtedly use her reputation to help defend her case. She was named “Bostonian of the Year” by the Boston Globe for her Floyd and BLM protests, and was called “best social justice advocate” in the city.
For the record, VIB doesn’t seem to have any relation to BLM. However, Cannon-Grant’s support of the group appears clear.
In regards to her husband, he’s facing one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements on a loan and credit application. This translates to more potential theft, prosecutors claim.
The sheer amount of possible fraud happening within the ranks of these so-called “activists” is concerning. And many citizens unsurprisingly call it wildly hypocritical, and an insult to those truly trying to help.
Key Takeaways:
- Liberal activist Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband are facing multiple federal charges.
- This includes stealing donations to their non-profit, defrauding a mortgage company, and nabbing pandemic benefits they didn’t deserve.
- The Boston Globe named Cannon-Grant “Bostonian of the Year” and the “best social justice advocate” after her George Floyd protests.
Source: The Daily Wire