Prince George’s officials demand return of $7.6M awarded to group tied to council chair

County Executive Aisha Braveboy and Council Chair Krystal Oriadha have requested the return of millions in grant funding awarded to Community on the Frontline, a local nonprofit tied to Oriadha.

In a joint letter Tuesday, the two officials requested that the organization’s Beverly Hills-based fiscal sponsor, the Edward Charles Foundation, return $7.6 million and any additional unspent county funding that it received on behalf of Community on the Frontline.

The county executive has also requested that the county’s auditor retain an outside firm to investigate the use of public funding provided to Community on the Frontline and the Edward Charles Foundation.

“Prince George’s County taxpayers have a right to know that their tax dollars are being used to serve communities, families, and those who are deserving,” Braveboy said in a statement Tuesday.

Janna Parker, who runs Community on the Frontline and is a close friend of Oriadha, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Edward Charles Foundation did not respond to a request for comment.

Two council members, Jolene Ivey and Sydney Harrison, on Monday called for an independent audit of Community On The Frontline and Joan’s House, a separate nonprofit organization tied to council member Edward Burroughs.

Their scrutiny comes after NBC4 Washington reported that the council had awarded millions to Community on the Frontline this year.

And The Banner reported in June that Oriadha and Burroughs had repeatedly pushed to award millions of dollars to their preferred organizations, specifically by diverting money from park and recreation funds.

Oriadha said during a council meeting Tuesday that “there has been no wrongdoing” committed by the council, its staff or the organizations in question.

“The best way to drive out any type of lies is by shining a light on the facts and the truth,” she said. “And this process will allow me to do exactly that, once and for all.”

Ivey, though, said to reporters that the council and the executive were asking for the money back because of a lack of transparency.

“When council members’ best friends are getting millions and millions of dollars, I think that we would not be doing our jobs if we did not raise this issue and ask for an accounting of the money,” Ivey said.

A press release from the county executive’s office says Braveboy has been “troubled by the allegations of irregularities” with the council’s grant program.

The release states that getting the money back will preserve “taxpayer resources” while an investigation plays out and while the Braveboy administration works with the council to “correct deficiencies” in its grants program.

The joint letter from Braveboy and Oriadha, addressed to Edward Charles Foundation CEO Kent Seton, asks the foundation to refrain from any further spending or transferring of county funds.

The money the foundation returns will be designated for community programs and initiatives for Oriadha’s council district, and Oriadha will have oversight of the funding and how it’s used, the letter states.

Braveboy has also requested that the county auditor retain an outside firm to examine how Community On The Frontline and the foundation used the funding.

She has asked auditors to examine which of the organizations’ accounts contain county funds, the amounts remaining in each and any fees the Edward Charles Foundation has charged for the support it has provided Community On The Frontline.

Oriadha has said she intended for Community On The Frontline to serve as an “anchor organization” that directs county investments to other groups providing programs and services to county residents.

The county’s audit will also examine activities and services these groups provided.

Oriadha grew emotional during Tuesday’s council meeting, during which she announced her joint letter with the county executive and responded to recent criticism.

She spoke about how she fought for years to secure funding for her under-resourced district, which is located inside the Capitol Beltway and includes Capitol Heights, Suitland, District Heights and Seat Pleasant, among other areas.

She turned to the council members seated on either side of her at one point, thanking them for supporting her and telling them, “You said my residents deserve that...,” before suddenly pausing and turning away from the audience to collect herself.

“And I genuinely thank you for that,” she said, clearly fighting back tears.

Oriadha quickly regained her composure, though, and began chiding those on the council — without naming names — who she says have created false narratives “for political reasons.”

During the meeting, Burroughs also addressed recent criticism of grant funding for Joan’s House, through which he established educational and professional development programs and organized and attended several out-of-state trips for kids, including to Puerto Rico.

Burroughs said Joan’s House hired an outside firm months ago to conduct an independent audit.

He said he’s expecting representatives from Joan’s House and its fiscal sponsor, the D.C.-based Center for Nonprofit Advancement, to present the audit results at the council’s Oct. 20 meeting.

“I welcome transparency, accountability and a full independent review of how public funds are being used,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Oriadha said she and Burroughs were “ready to be transparent and answer every single question brought to us, because we have no fear about it.”

A moment after those remarks, she turned abruptly from the reporters gathered and ignored a question about why the council was demanding the funding back.