from the watching-our-money-go-down-the-drain dept.
A U.S. Senate panel is examining whether a global aid group funded partly by billionaire Bill Gates and rock star Bono misled U.S. officials about its anti-corruption practices to retain government funding.
The inquiry stems from the handling of allegations of corruption that surfaced four years ago at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a multibillion-dollar charity with private and public support. Seth Faison, a Global Fund spokesman, categorically rejected any implication that the aid organization had engaged in misconduct.
In the Senate, the staff of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations recently questioned at least one former official of the Global Fund, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The questions relate to the firing of an inspector general for the charity who published reports alleging corruption and to subsequent affirmations by the charity that it had an independent inspector general.
A nonprofit advocacy group separately sent a letter this week criticizing the Global Fund for what it called efforts to muzzle the inspector general as a whistle-blower and asking for disciplinary action against those involved. In its letter to the fund's chairman, the Government Accountability Project added that the State Department, then led by Hillary Clinton, failed to provide adequate oversight of the charity.
Source: Bloomberg
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 02 2016, @05:19PM
These kinds of laws are often complex, contradictory, and highly subject to interpretation. Bill Gates and the Clinton's have plenty of lawyers to check on the legality of these kind of things for their charities, and probably do CYA pretty well; BUT there will always be some risk because the very vagueness that usually protects them also leaves room for long, endless accusations from those with counter interests.
If you play it super-safe, you'd probably never get anything done. After all, the lawmakers and law-writers are not logical, practical people: they are usually mere politicians. I've been on juries where we were to interpret the laws as written, and they are not well written when it comes to making definitive judgements on complex actions.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 02 2016, @05:50PM
Disgruntled employee or corruption? It was his job to find misconduct so he published a report, and then was fired. With how much corruption there is in the world, do you really think a global fund involving billions would not be a target?
People just don't want to believe that some of our largest institutions are corrupt, its too big of a shock for people to realize how screwed up the world is. So instead we marginalize the whole concept of uncovering wrongdoing.
Snitches get stitches, I'm no rat, its wrong to tattle. Sure it can be irritating and lame when people call out every little thing done wrong, but I'd prefer that white noise to the black reality of corruption and theft.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 02 2016, @06:16PM
I have seen people cheat for 50 cents. What in the world do people think? Of course there is corruption. Money and its brother greed breeds it.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 02 2016, @07:18PM
Sure, but there are expectations that long standing large institutions are not corrupt, especially non-profit aid groups. In general people assume there is little to no corruption, probably because in the US most corruption is done in the "back room" and is very well hidden from view. Or it has become pseudo-legalized.
People applaud the Gates' for their philanthropy, yet there have been many articles about agendas being pushed and solutions put in place that send money back to specific contractors. I would say people aren't surprised there is corruption, but they would be surprised at the extent.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday May 02 2016, @08:00PM
People just don't want to believe that some of our largest institutions are corrupt, its too big of a shock for people to realize how screwed up the world is.
Oh come on!!
Everybody knows this and suspects everything from the dog catcher to the President (of any given country, (Its not just an American thing).
The world tolerates a certain level of corruption, more in some places than in others. Why: Because, to a certain extent, it works. Even if it stinks while its working. Everybody posting here expects that kickbacks and bribes are the way big business works, Most think legislative votes are bough and paid for with hard cold cash, and any legislator that gets caught was just on the wrong side of the power curve.
Of course in the US its harder to hide this kind of thing than in Zimbabwe or Thailand. Someone always talks. Someone always leaks. But people believe the worst anyway.
Then you announce nobody wants to believe this is happening, and we are all shocked when we do see it.
No, No one is shocked. And people want to believe most large institutions are corrupt. Its exactly the opposite of your assertion.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 02 2016, @09:27PM
No one on HERE is shocked, but I'd say the average US citizen would be floored by a full disclosure. Don't get too comfortable in our little echo chamber.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by frojack on Monday May 02 2016, @11:19PM
No one on HERE is shocked, but I'd say the average US citizen would be floored by a full disclosure.
I live among average US Citizens. Working stiffs, college kids, military professionals, business men, retired people, nurses, baristas, plumbers, and lawn care guys.
They all understand there is some degree of corruption, which varies by what part of the business or government we are talking about. They suspect more than they can prove, they see conspiracies behind every rock. They don't think every city councilman in every small town is corrupt, but they are pretty sure there is corruption in the city council.
There is a deplorable, elitist tendency here on SN for everybody here to think they are special, so very much smarter than everyone else, so insightful they see things hidden from the pitifully average citizen.
You are not unique. You are not smarter than everyone else. You just don't get out enough and talk to your fellow human beings. Its late spring, early summer. Time to come up from your basement lair and at least talk to your mom, even if you dare not go outside yet.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 03 2016, @01:53PM
You are not unique. You are not smarter than everyone else. You just don't get out enough and talk to your fellow human beings.
That might be so but I use helluwa lot more tin foil than Joe Blogs and Jane Doe.
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Monday May 02 2016, @08:09PM
then led by Hillary Clinton, failed to provide adequate oversight of the charity.
We got to have her for president..