The anti-police activist allegedly “misappropriated charitable donations to fund lavish vacations and shopping sprees” after founding a nonprofit organization aimed at improving “transparency and accountability.” law enforcement, According to prosecutors.
The District of Columbia Attorney General’s Office is now suing Brandon Anderson — the executive director of Rahim AI — alleging that, since 2021, he “diverted $75,000 in nonprofit funds for his personal use.”
The funds reportedly included “spending more than $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.” Personal journey – including a Cancun resort, $10,000 on designer clothing brands, and $5,000 on emergency veterinary services.”
“Brandon Anderson misused charitable donations to fund lavish vacations and purchases, and the Rahim AI board of directors let him get away with it,” Attorney General Brian Schwalb said. said in a statement. “Not only did their financial misconduct violate basic principles of nonprofit governance, but Anderson and Rahim AI failed to pay them. [sole District-based] Pay employees the wages they earned.
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Brandon Anderson is pictured in December 2019 in Oakland, California. (Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
“My office will not allow people to hide behind good intentions while violating the law, defrauding taxpayers, or stealing from our workers,” he added.
Raheem AI was founded in 2017 with the aim of building a service that allows people to file complaints against the police. The New York Times.
“When you report the police on Raheem.org, we connect you with a free attorney, file a complaint against the officer, and share your story in defending the police and investing in your community,” Anderson said. used to lobby for effective policies.” BET Networks.
The nonprofit then focused on creating an app in 2021 that would dispatch alternative first responders — people in times of need — instead of the police, the New York Times reported.
gave DC Attorney General’s Office Says Rahim AI does business as Community Response Works and is a tax-exempt DC nonprofit corporation.
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Brandon Anderson is accused of diverting funds for Rahim AI to his personal use. (Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
“It requested donations to ‘equip black, brown, and indigenous community crisis responders with equipment, training, connections and funding,'” the AG’s office added. said
“Brandon Anderson…served as a member of the board and as its executive director until April 2024. While Rahim AI’s board recently placed Anderson on leave and ceased operations, neither “Neither the organization recovered the misappropriated funds nor compensated its employee for the wages owed and damages,” the office said.
Prosecutors also allege that Anderson and Rahim AI forced their DC-based employee to sign an “illegal non-compete clause.”
The attorney general’s office says the alleged actions violate D.C.’s Nonprofit Corporation Act, the Wage Payment and Collection Law (WCPL) and the law prohibiting non-compete agreements.
“In connection with this litigation, OAG ordered Rahim AI to be dissolved as a district nonprofit corporation, to recover the misappropriated funds and direct them to appropriate charitable purposes, to order Anderson to be an officer of any district nonprofit organization or Permanently barred from serving as director, Rahim is seeking a court order awarding AI the deputy director back wages plus damages, and the District for each violation of the WCPL. Pays fines.” said the office.
People walk in Washington, DC after “Defend the Police” is painted on a street near the White House on June 8, 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
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The New York Times reported that Anderson has denied misappropriating funds for the nonprofit.