Wyclef Jean Defends Charity, Makes Plea for Haiti
After spending three days in his earthquake-ravaged homeland, Haitian-born musician and onetime Fugee Wyclef Jean addressed the press in New York with a mixture of sorrow for his country and defiance about allegations that he had misappropriated funds intended to go to his foundation, Yele Haiti, in the past.
After spending three days in his earthquake-ravaged homeland, Haitian-born musician and onetime Fugee Wyclef Jean addressed the press in New York with a mixture of sorrow for his country and defiance about allegations that he had misappropriated funds intended to go to his foundation, Yele Haiti, in the past. –KA
Your support matters…Rolling Stone:
Wyclef Jean addressed accusations against his Yele Haiti organization for the second time in as many days, delivering prepared remarks to a roomful of reporters at Manhattan’s Sheraton Hotel this afternoon.
Wyclef entered the press conference — held on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday — sporting a dark suit, blue dress shirt and striped tie. The toll of spending three days in Haiti seemed to be catching up to him. At one point he spoke directly to the cameras as he delivered remarks to Haiti in the country’s native tongue. Tears streamed down both sides of Wyclef’s cheeks as he spoke and a weariness set in around his darkened, red eyes. A loose translation of his speech relayed throughout the room explained his tears were not for him, but rather for the people of his country. Earlier Wyclef flashed his permanent green card and Haitian passport to illustrate how connected he still is to his country of birth.
After Wyclef’s remarks, he left and [Yele Haiti President Hugh] Locke took questions from the press, tackling inquiries about the Smoking Gun’s report head on, specifically the payouts from Yele Haiti to Wyclef’s for-profit companies, a recording studio in New York ($100,000) and a production company in Haiti ($250,000). (Currently, Locke said, the foundation has not spent any of the recently donated funds as they’ve been overwhelmed by the volume of the contributions.)
Independent journalism is under threat and overshadowed by heavily funded mainstream media.
You can help level the playing field. Become a member.
Your tax-deductible contribution keeps us digging beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that unearths what's really happening- without compromise.
Give today to support our courageous, independent journalists.
Environment
The forever dangers of small modular reactors.
Middle East
The earthquake has devastated Antakya's minority communities.
Opinion
Otherwise, there is a real chance that the earthquake will help rehabilitate Assad within the international community.
Middle East
Many countries are already disregarding U.S. strictures against dealing with the Damascus government.
Editorial Cartoons
Friday's temblor, put at a magnitude ranging from 6.5 to 6.8, and hundreds of aftershocks spark rumors of the country's unpreparedness.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.