Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

AIDS Group must return funds
by Sam Worley
2009-12-09

This article shared 2516 times since Wed Dec 9, 2009
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


An HIV/AIDS advocacy organization long under suspicion of misusing funds has been ordered to return a $500,000 grant it received from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Let's Talk, Let's Test Foundation ( LTLTF ) has also been asked to give back more than $500,000 it received from the Illinois Department of Public Health, and is under investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The announcement comes after suggestions, first reported in the Chicago Sun-Times, that LTLTF's leadership had mismanaged funds, including paying out large bonuses to staff members, the purchase of skybox tickets to a football game and questionable campaign contributions to Democratic state Rep. Connie Howard.

Suspicion surrounding LTLTF's spending is not new; in September 2008, Windy City Times reported that the Illinois Department of Public Health ( IDPH ) was withholding funding to the organization while it investigated how the money was spent.

Let's Talk, Let's Test Executive Director Lloyd Kelly denies wrongdoing. Although Kelly had no comment at press time, he said that he planned a press release and hold a possible press conference later in the week.

Calls to Howard's office seeking comment were not returned by press time.

Howard, who has served in the Illinois legislature since 1995, co-founded Let's Talk, Let's Test with Kelly in 2002; Kelly previously had been a volunteer legislative aid in Howard's office. In August 2005, Howard shepherded a bill through the legislature that gave the group a large boost in funding—a financial infusion of which the spending is now under widespread suspicion.

That money came out of the African-American HIV/AIDS Response Act, which was co-authored by Howard and state Sen. Kimberly Lightford. Signed into law by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and enacted in 2006, the Response Act was heralded as a pioneering piece of legislation that would address the widespread problem of HIV/AIDS in African-American populations.

Among other provisions, the act called for the creation of "response officers" in four state agencies: the Office of the Governor, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department of Corrections ( IDOC ) . It provided for the voluntary testing of any Illinois prison inmate who requested it, and mandated steps to control the spread of HIV in prison.

In the wake of the act's passage, Howard was named one of "10 Black AIDS Warriors to Watch" by POZ magazine, which described the legislation as "packed with truly innovative provisions." The magazine Utne Reader counted Howard as one of "50 visionaries who are changing your world."

In addition to changes in public health bureaucracy, the act also created a "response fund," to be administered through the state, that would fund non-profit agencies working to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the black community. Out of the $3 million fund—dispersed among 79 organizations—LTLTF was awarded more than $1 million.

According to an interview that Kelly gave to the Chicago Reporter in January 2009, the organization began to experience difficulties with state funding as soon as the money was dispersed. Kelly told the Reporter that the first check LTLT received from the state was eight months late, giving the organization only the few months left in that fiscal year to adjust its spending plan and provide expense reports to the state.

Though LTLTF ended up receiving continued funding, Kelly's failure to report expenses to the state raised suspicions about the group's spending. In September 2008, IDPH said that it was withholding funds while it investigated how its grants to the organization were spent. At the time, an IDPH spokesperson told Windy City Times that such investigations were a routine part of the grant-making process.

But by April 2009, the Illinois Attorney General's Office revoked the organization's ability to solicit donations, saying that it had failed to file an expense report for the previous year. And in September 2009, the Sun-Times revealed a number of questionable expenses made by LTLTF, including the skybox tickets and employee bonuses. Kelly reportedly received a $50,000 bonus, and another employee allegedly received a $30,000 bonus. Kelly has said that the payments were back pay owed to LTLTF staffers.

IDPH is now seeking the return of $523,545 from Let's Talk, Let's Test—part of $1.2 million the organization received.

Separately, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity ( DCEO ) is seeking a refund of its $500,000 grant to the organization. The grant was made for LTLTF to purchase and rehabilitate a building on the South Side; the group planned to rent out apartments in the building and use the income to fund its HIV/AIDS programming.

According to Marcelyn Love, a spokesperson for the DCEO, the time period of the grant given to LTLTF was April 1, 2007-Sept. 30, 2008. Love told Windy City Times that the money was a "member grant," meaning that the executive officer of the project "works in consultation with the governor's office and the respective legislative caucus."

That project reportedly went over budget and remains incomplete. When LTLTF did not respond to an August request from the DCEO asking for its money back, the department forwarded the matter to the Illinois Attorney General's office.

Kelly has said that LTLTF is nearly a million dollars in debt, and cannot afford to hire an accountant or lawyer to help straighten out its finances.

Due to the sensitive nature of the controversy, few activists involved in HIV/AIDS services in Chicago were willing to speak on record about their reaction to the legal steps taken against LTLTF. Amy Maggio, a longtime HIV/AIDS activist and service provider, e-mailed, "Although politics always comes into play when money is on the table and votes are in need of counting, HIV/AIDS continues to destroy lives."

Apparently alluding to the money allegedly misspent by LTLTF, Maggio said, "I can't help but think how many lives would be saved by over $1 million for quality testing and information programs."


This article shared 2516 times since Wed Dec 9, 2009
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

HIV criminal laws disproportionately impact Black men in Mississippi 2024-02-21
--From a press release - A new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that at least 43 people in Mississippi were arrested for HIV-related crimes between 2004 and 2021. Half of all arrests in the state ...


Gay News

'West Side Story' gets a sex-positive spin with new burlesque show 2024-02-19
- In partial observance of National Condom Day, which was Feb. 14, Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) presented A West Side Story Burlesque at the Harris Theater for two hour-long performances on Feb. 17. The show, ...


Gay News

$200,000+ raised at AIDS Foundation Chicago's World of Chocolate Fundraiser to fight HIV/AIDS 2024-02-13
--From a press release - (Chicago, IL) More than 950 guests gathered at Chicago's famed Union Station (500 W. Jackson) for Chicago's Sweetest Fundraiser, AIDS Foundation Chicago's (AFC), World of Chocolate on Friday, February 9. ...


Gay News

Munar prepares to step away from Howard Brown leadership 2024-02-11
- After 10 years of leadership at Howard Brown Health, President and CEO David Ernesto Munar has decided to step down from his post on Feb. 29. Munar, who'd previously been president and CEO of AIDS Foundation ...


Gay News

National Black Justice Coalition commemorates National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2024-02-07
--From a press release - WASHINGTON — Today, Feb. 7, marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). In commemoration, Dr. David J. Johns, CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a leading Black LGBTQ+/same-gender ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Wis. report, gender dysphoria, HIV research, Stonewall exhibit, gay CEOs 2024-01-19
- A new annual report from Wisconsin's Office of Children's Mental Health shows that the state's minors—especially girls, children of color and LGBTQ+ youth—continue to struggle with anxiety, depression and thoughts ...


Gay News

WORLD Activist honored, marriages in Estonia, Madrid law, trans sports item 2024-01-05
Video below - The National AIDS Commission (NAC) recently honored Caleb Orozco—a leading figure in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Belize—for his instrumental contributions to the national HIV response, BNN reported. According ...


Gay News

SAVOR World of Chocolate, Jaleo and 'Superhot' 2023-12-31
- World of wonder: I am excited to announce that I will be a judge at AIDS Foundation Chicago's World of Chocolate fundraiser! Join me in sampling delicious chocolate from local chefs and help support a great ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Frankie Franklin-Foxx 2023-12-18
- Frankie Franklin-Foxx (born Waverlynn Franklin), a resident of Chicago's North Side, passed away peacefully Dec. 13 at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. She was 68. Born at Cook County Hospital, Frankie graduated from South Shore High ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Dr. Rachel Levine, World AIDS Day, trans deaths, Philly bar art 2023-12-08
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Liles C. Burke ruled that emails and other records from U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine are relevant to a lawsuit challenging Alabama's ban ...


Gay News

STRUT marks World AIDS Day with 14th Annual Fashion Show 2023-12-05
- On Dec. 3, John Fleming and Madman Productions presented the 14th annual STRUT fashion show at Joe's on Weed Street, 940 W. Weed St. As in previous years, the standing room only show was a fundraiser, ...


Gay News

World AIDS Day commemorated at AIDS Garden Chicago 2023-12-03
- On the rainy morning of Dec. 1, Chicago Parks Foundation and the AIDS Garden Chicago Board of Directors hosted a World AIDS Day commemoration at AIDS Garden Chicago, just south of Belmont Harbor on the Lakefront. ...


Gay News

GLAAD marks World AIDS Day with launch of global resource hub, new HIV report 2023-12-01
--From a press release - New York, New York — Friday, Dec. 1 — GLAAD marked World AIDS Day this year by sharing the results of its fourth annual State of HIV Stigma Report, a national survey among U.S. adults measuring ...


Gay News

Wrightwood 659 to present 'Daniel Goldstein: The Marks We Leave Behind' on World AIDS Day 2023-11-29
- (CHICAGO, Nov. 29, 2023) —Alphawood Exhibitions will present Daniel Goldstein: The Marks We Leave Behind, an exhibition of works from the San Francisco-based artist & HIV/AIDS activist's iconic "Icarian Series," ...


Gay News

WTTW doc chronicles the activism of Danny Sotomayor 2023-11-03
- Practically everything the late Chicago AIDS activist Danny Sotomayor did was "a fight." So says fellow activist Victor Salvo in the new WTTW documentary The Outrage of Danny Sotomayor, which is part of the station's Chicago ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.