For the Children

Stuart, how could you?
From Yahoo News via The New York Post:

It's the kind of outrageous story that would raise the hackles of talk-show host Al Franken: A government-funded agency serving the needy lends nearly $500,000 to a shaky political radio network and is never repaid.
Except it involves Franken's own Air America.
The network issued a statement yesterday admitting its connection to The Bronx's Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Clubs, which lost nearly $10 million in city contracts last month after investigators uncovered "significant inappropriate transaction and falsified documents."
One irregularity, first reported by Michael Horowitz in The City News, a Bronx-based publication, was the $480,000 transfer to Air America.
"We are very disturbed that Air America's good name could be associated with a reduction in services to young people, which is why we agreed months ago to fully compensate Gloria Wise," the network said yesterday.

Ah, but there’s more...

But two days earlier, in response to Post questions, the network insisted that the $480,000 came in before May 2004, when Piquant LLC took over the Air America assets of Progress Media — run by Evan Cohen, development director at Gloria Wise.
"Piquant had no involvement whatsoever with funds from the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club," the network declared at the time. "Piquant neither received nor expended any of the sums that are the subject of the city's investigation of the club."

Well, at least they claim they’ll pony up with the cash.
But Jerry, my God, it was for the children! For the children!