Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has filed a lawsuit to shut down a sham charity he said fraudulently raised millions of dollars under the guise of fighting breast cancer, only to funnel the money to organization insiders and fundraisers.
According to the attorney general, the Long Island-based Coalition Against Breast Cancer solicited $9.1 million from the public over the past five years, but spent virtually no money on the breast cancer programs it said it supported.
The money was allegedly used to pay exorbitant fundraiser fees, unjustified salaries and benefits packages and for other personal goods, including cell phones and home phones, and TV and internet services.
The lawsuit charges both Coalition Against Breast Cancer and its for-profit fundraiser, Campaign Center, with violations of the state's not-for-profit and charitable solicitations laws.
"By using a charity as a personal cash machine, the Coalition Against Breast Cancer and Campaign Center shamelessly exploited New Yorkers' natural sympathies and generosity," Schneiderman said.
The attorney general's investigation determined that CABC was not affiliated with any cancer institution, and spent virtually nothing on breast cancer programs