Top Obama Fundraiser Confesses To Misusing $600,000 in Federal Grants Meant for Poor Youth

From 2007 to 2012, Howard Slingerland contributed nearly $750,000 to Obama’s campaign. Getty Images

Barack Obama’s former top fundraiser admitted to misuse of more than $600,000. He also embezzled tens of thousands from a nonprofit that assists impoverished youth, Justice Department. announced Tuesday.

Howard Dixon Slingerland. raised nearly $750,000 for both of Obama’s presidential campaigns, illegally took federal grant money to pay off more than $600,000 of his organization’s payroll and credit card debts, which included personal expenses. Court filings reveal that the grant of $1.5million was intended to give career opportunities to young adults who had gone through the criminal justice process.

Slingerland also admitted that he underreported $450,000 of income and owed nearly $150,000 back taxes. Slingerland also admitted to taking tens of thousands from his nonprofit to pay his property tax and to fund tutors for his children. He also ate a lavish dinner at a Michelin-starred steakhouse.

Slingerland pleaded guilty one count misapplication of funds, and one count lying on his tax returns. Slingerland faces a maximum sentence in federal prison of 13 years.

This disgraced leader of a nonprofit is not immune to charges of abuse of funds. In 2014, Slingerland’s nonprofit, the Youth Policy Institute, failed to disclose $140,000 it spent lobbying Obama’s White House and federal agencies for grant funding—potentially violating federal lobbying laws.

Slingerland’s attorney stated that he “takes responsibility for the mistakes he made,” Citing his misapplications of funds and failure to report personal income.

Slingerland spent over $14,000 in his nonprofit between 2015 and 2019. This included more than $10,000 for tutoring his children, $6,000 for a family dinner at Momofuku Ko, New York City, as well as nearly $2,000 on a brand new personal computer.

In addition to raiding his nonprofit to fund personal expenses, including his wife’s pension and lavish home decor, Slingerland helped line the pockets of Democratic candidates like former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti (D.). He hosted multiple fundraisers for Garcetti’s 2013 campaign and contributed $5,000 to Democrats in the 2018 midterms, Fox News reported.

From 1996 to 2019, Slingerland was the CEO of his Los Angeles-based nonprofit. He was fired after he was accused for misusing funds. According to bankruptcy filings, the former CEO was accused of having misappropriated $1.7 million of company funds. Slingerland called the filing