I wasn't going to post on this but I see that this story is gaining momentum as just read about it somewhere else and with all the vitriol that is being thrown Wyclef's way, I've noticed a glaring omission.

I do not know IF Wyclef is or has done anything wrong or unethical with regards to his charity. What I do KNOW and see glaringly missing from these "reports" is that Wyclef was looking out and doing for the people of Haiti BEFORE it became "fashionable" to do so!

What I find TELLING in all of this, is how no one cared what he was doing with his charity UNTIL his charity's donations picked up considerably after the earthquake! NOW everybody wants to look at his books and such!

My question is WHY??

Because I KNOW good and damn motherfucking well, this is NOT about concern for the people of Haiti!!!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Because after Haiti's earthquake, they made the charities to "help" the country as a fad. THAT'S why.

Timmy84 said:

Who EXACTLY are you talking about? Wyclef's charity Yele.org was founded to help Haiti on October 8, 2004!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

The media.

Timmy84 said:

Really? Umph! Did they form charities or opinions?

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I don't know exactly the answer you're looking for but if you wanna know why they would fail to mention whatever good Wyclef did, well, I don't think you'll find the answer. Maybe this is confusing...

Anyway back to eating popcorn.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

There were inquiries into his foundation's finances way before now. This isn't new. The media attention has obviously increased due to the current crisis, but I remember hearing about the IRS looking into Yele's books 2-3 years ago.

SCNDLS said:

Yeah that's what I was trying to say.

And yes, Yele Haiti has been investigated since it was founded.

Timmy84 said:

And it was actually founded over 12 years ago.

SCNDLS said:

So let's see... around '97 or '98...

http://www.thesmokinggun....clef1.html

However, Internal Revenue Service records show the group has a lackluster history of accounting for its finances, and that the organization has paid the performer and his business partner at least $410,000 for rent, production services, and Jean's appearance at a benefit concert.

Though the Wyclef Jean Foundation, which does business as Yele Haiti Foundation, was incorporated 12 years ago--and has been active since that time--the group only first filed tax returns in August 2009. That month, the foundation provided the IRS with returns covering calendar years 2005, 2006, and 2007--the only periods for which it has publicly provided a glimpse at its financial affairs

Timmy84 said:

And filed their FIRST tax return last year. WTF???

SCNDLS said:

Yeah... That is interesting.

Timmy84 said:

Shit, 6 months ago at that. I wish I would wait 12 years to file a tax return, you know the IRS ain't having that.

SCNDLS said:

That is really strange. How are you gonna found an organization in 1997 and then wait 12 years to file a tax return? They must've gotten backup from that Florida group, idk...

Sha----dy

Y'all are really going to make ME do the work?

I really need to be doing my homework for school right now but ok.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Ain't nobody making you do anything. If the topic is about Wyclef's organization, which I think it is, these accusations are not new and he had not filed a tax return in the 12 years since they've been incorporated until last August. That alone is fishy. Couple that with the fact that he's paid himself and other organizations that he owned controlling interest in, $100ks, yeah that dog won't hunt.

Even Angelina Jolie stopped donating to him. She made People donate $1 million to Yele in lieu of payment for her preggo pics and I believe that year he paid himself and his companies over $400,000.

Then her and Brad donated $1 million to Doctors Without Borders after the earthquake. You'd think if she still had faith in Wyclef, who she's gone to Haiti with in years past, she would have given something to Yele.

SCNDLS said:

Yep...

Timmy84 said:

He ain't the only crooked charity in the world but by now he should expect extra scrutiny and do everything by the book.

This was easy enough. His organization has been AUDITED so I'll start here...

According to CNNMoney.com:

http://money.cnn.com/2010...ndex.htm



That's a discrepancy of 6%! Oh the shame!

But wait...I'm not done yet!

SCNDLS said:

Exactly.

Only 6%?

Well Hatrina you didn't have to do all that, SCNDLS already posted much of it. You don't have to do all the work, girl. Damn.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

That link doesn't work, and I'm not sure what you're trynna accomplish, but knock yourself out.

Timmy84 said:

And he was still paying his own companies much of the money that was spent. Why would he charge $100k of expenses for a performance in Monaco to Yele? That may not be illegal but it's still shady IMO. What's the percentage of that?

But whatevs, I don't have it out for him, he just can't get none of my ducats.
[Edited 3/16/10 16:31pm]

SCNDLS said:

Yeah I'm done with this topic. He ain't the last person to do something shady and he wasn't the first. Moving on.

Timmy84 said:

SCNDLS said:

I've fixed the link in this reply, please do click on it.

What I'm trying to accomplish is a little something called "critical thinking" because if I've learned nothing else over the last few years, I've learned that things are not always as they appear to be in the latest headline! The people need to start asking questions, like this one...

Outside of the Smoking Gun's website and places that are citing it as their source, why is it that I cannot find any information about the Yele Haiti organization prior to 2004, including tax, incorporation and doing business as information?

If you really believe a publicly known Black man has gotten away with not filing taxes for 12 years and was suddenly busted 2 months ago, when he started pulling in millions daily and is STILL not locked up...there's a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd love to sell to you!

.
[Edited 3/16/10 16:59pm]

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

You're funny.

You can't find any information on it before that because Yele Haiti is only the DBA name. The charity's LEGAL name is Wyclef Jean Foundation which you can see on the tax returns. He just changed the legal name to Yele Haiti in the last few months. Even fishier.

The Wyclef Jean Foundation was incorporated in Florida in 1998 and had it's status REPEATEDLY dissolved by the state of Florida for failing to provide financial and other information.

http://www.thesmokinggun....clef1.html

JANUARY 15--Musician Wyclef Jean's charitable foundation--now the recipient of many donations big and small in the wake of the Haiti earthquake--has repeatedly had its corporate status dissolved for failing to file required state disclosure reports, records show.

As seen below, the Florida Division of Corporations has, on four separate occasions over the past five years, sanctioned the Yele Haiti Foundation (the charity was incorporated in Florida in 1998 as the Wyclef Jean Foundation, but formally changed its name two months ago). The longest involuntarily dissolution lasted 26 months, ending in November 2008 when Jean's organization provided Florida officials with overdue annual reports disclosing the identities of the group's officers and directors, its registered agent, and office address.

The foundation's most recent dissolution occurred in September 2009, but was vacated a month later when the 37-year-old Jean's group filed its disclosure report. As TSG reported yesterday, the Jean foundation's records delinquency extended to the filing of its tax returns--and could make a prospective donor question whether the organizationally challenged foundation is a wise choice for disaster relief contributions.

In August 2009, the group filed overdue tax returns for 2005, 2006, and 2007, documents showing that Jean and fellow board member Jerry Duplessis paid themselves at least $410,000 for services provided to the foundation. Duplessis, a bass player who has toured with Jean, co-owns a New York City recording studio with the performer, as well as a Haiti-based production company.

Like I said, none of these issues are recent.

Since you don't like the smoking gun, here's a direct link to the Wyclef Jean Foundation's incorporation file and records. Like I said in my first post on this thread, ALL of this is a matter of public record. So much for critical thinking.

http://www.sunbiz.org/corinam.html
[Edited 3/16/10 19:35pm]

This is the last I'm gonna say, if you can't see nothing in SCNDLS' link, go to "Document Searches" and click on where it says "ENQUIRE BY ENTITY NAME" and then type in Yele Haiti and there ya go.