How D.C. allowed ‘completely inappropriate’ spending by anti-violence group

This article features commentary by partner David Colapinto.

Nonprofit executives are prohibited from using the nonprofit to benefit themselves or insiders connected to the nonprofit under both federal and D.C. law, said David Colapinto, an attorney who specializes in government contract fraud and represents whistleblowers. The D.C. government, he said, should have had a sharper eye for those potential violations. “It’s taxpayer money, and ultimately the government agencies and the city council have a duty to the taxpayers to ensure that it isn’t wasted and that there isn’t fraud and abuse in these contracts and grants,” Colapinto said. He and other attorneys said potential conflicts of interest are not always a problem with the Internal Revenue Service — as long as they are properly disclosed to the nonprofit’s board and reviewed thoroughly.