The Texas High Patrol Association Has Taken Its Last Donations

The Texas High Patrol Association, a non-profit that claimed it was associated with the Texas Department of Public Safety, has taken its last donations for its noble cause: the support of families whose loved ones died in the line of duty. In December, Greg Abbott, the Attorney General of Texas, filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging that the organization committed fraud for misappropriating the donations that it received from its operations.

From 2004 to 2009, the organization had only used $63,500 for its purported purpose even though it raised about $12 million in donations. Through the its telemarketing plan, the organization reported that it would send 100% of the total earnings from the donations it received to help the families in need. However, current reports now show that the organization only used about 1% on the families, and it used the remaining 99% for a number of personal benefits. When the board discovered these fraudulent acts it terminated its top employees and surrendered more than $1.2 million dollars in assets to the court. These assets included the Texas Highway Patrol Museum in San Antonio. The court-appointed receiver will distribute the assets to other legitimate charities.

See Dubious Charity Meets A Rightful End, San Antonio Express-News, Apr. 17, 2012.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.