State sues Minneapolis crime prevention group for fraud, saying millions were misspent
Minnesota authorities are accusing a Minneapolis violence prevention nonprofit of fraud, alleging its leaders diverted millions for luxury cars and trips to Las Vegas.
Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Friday that his office has sued We Push for Peace, claiming its two former leaders — Trahern Pollard and Jaclyn McGuigan — misused over $6.5 million, violated state nonprofit laws, lied to investigators and ran the nonprofit into the ground. The attorney general’s charities division has civil enforcement authority over nonprofits.
The lawsuit alleges over $6 million went to benefit Pollard, who spent money on cars, trips, child support payments and to prop up his liquor store and car dealership. The lawsuit says McGuigan “maintained an intimate relationship with Pollard.”
After George Floyd’s police killing and the ensuing unrest and spike in crime, Minneapolis increasingly turned to community organizations like We Push for Peace to help de-escalate disputes and move “beyond policing.” Amid a campaign to defund police, the city poured millions into contracts with alternative public safety approaches.
Spending on police alternatives grew from $2.7 million in 2020 to $23 million in 2024. We Push for Peace was founded in 2016, but ramped up after Floyd’s murder to get grant funding, the lawsuit contends.
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https://www.startribune.com/attorney-general-ellison-we-push-for-peace-fraud/601838951
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