An anti-police activist has been caught allegedly using charitable donations to fund his lavish lifestyle, and he is now facing legal troubles.
Brandon Anderson, the executive director of Raheem AI, is being sued by the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia for allegedly diverting $75,000 worth of nonprofit funds to use for his insanely expensive lifestyle. He has also been accused of lying about the motivations behind the creation of his nonprofit, as he claimed that his fiancé, Raheem, had been killed by police brutality even though there is no record of anyone by that name being killed by police at the time and place he described.
Raheem AI, where the anti-police activist works, is a nonprofit organization that has the stated goal of improving transparency and accountability in law enforcement.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb issued a press release on Monday explaining the allegations in the lawsuit.
“Anderson diverted $75,000 of nonprofit funds for his own personal use,” the press release alleged. “Since 2021, Anderson repeatedly used Raheem AI’s funds for personal use: spending over $40,000 on a luxury vacation rental service that allows members to stay in high-end mansions and penthouse apartments, $10,000 on hotels and Airbnb’s for personal travel — including to a Cancun resort, $10,000 on designer clothing brands, and $5,000 on emergency veterinary services. None of these expenses furthered Raheem AI’s stated nonprofit purpose.”
The head of a BLM-style nonprofit blew huge sums of donations on luxury clothes, mansion rentals and holiday trips.
Nonprofit @responseworks, formerly Raheem AI, says it wants to abolish police and functions as an alternative resource to calling cops.
Founder Brandon Anderson… pic.twitter.com/a3KRXcbibf
— Andy Ngo 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 28, 2024
Schwalb’s office also accused the company, Raheem AI, of failing “to properly oversee the organization’s finances,” and argued that “Anderson and Raheem AI failed to pay their District employee” — adding that “Anderson and Raheem AI forced their employee into an illegal noncompete clause.”
The D.C. attorney general’s office explained that they are seeking to end the company’s nonprofit status and prohibit the anti-police activist from ever working for a nonprofit in the district again.
“With this lawsuit, OAG is seeking a Court order to dissolve Raheem AI as a District nonprofit corporation, recover misused funds and direct them to appropriate charitable purposes, permanently bar Anderson from serving as an officer or director of any District nonprofit, award Raheem AI’s Deputy Director the wages she is owed plus damages, and award penalties to the District for each violation of the WCPL,” the press release explained.
Anderson has denied misusing the charitable donations, according to Fox News.
Meanwhile, Schwalb posted about the lawsuit on X, accusing the anti-police activist and Raheem AI of violating “almost every principle of nonprofit governance imaginable — taking advantage of donors to fund lavish vacations and shopping sprees while failing to pay their employee.”
“We are taking action to recoup the misused funds and prevent future abuse,” the attorney general added.
Raheem AI and its director violated almost every principle of nonprofit governance imaginable — taking advantage of donors to fund lavish vacations and shopping sprees while failing to pay their employee.
We are taking action to recoup the misused funds and prevent future abuse. https://t.co/3d2ZArqmJd
— AG Brian Schwalb (@DCAttorneyGen) November 26, 2024
The case is “District of Columbia v. Anderson,” which will be prosecuted in the U.S. Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
