Anti-poverty activists in California were indicted yesterday for spending more than $200,000 in taxpayer money on lavish steak dinners and massages.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the husband and wife in charge of the Associated Community Action Program were each charged with one count of grand theft, conspiracy, and crime by a public officer.
The paper reports:
Although the couple are charged with misspending $200,000, "the final bill" was probably in the neighborhood of $1.5 million, said Robert Lieber, an Albany city councilman and former chairman of the now-defunct nonprofit's board of directors. ...
According to the indictment announced by Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley, the couple submitted false bank statements to the federal government to obtain some $426,000 in matching funds.
"And when they got it, it appears that they used it for purposes other than those covered by the grants," O'Malley said.