By Martin Moylan, Minnesota Public Radio News

 

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has banned a Florida charity from fundraising in the state because the group allegedly misrepresented its efforts to help disabled and wounded military veterans.

Swanson said Help the Vets solicited more than $370,000 from Minnesotans, telling potential donors that contributions would fund veterans’ medical care and provide other help. But Swanson said that’s not what happened.

“They couldn’t substantiate that a single veteran received the kind of treatment that they promised,” she said. “We’ve taken action to shut them down.”

The action against Help the Vets was in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from five other states. Swanson has gone after four other similar operations in the past year.

The attorney general said people should check out charities before donating, and seek reports from entities such as the Charities Review Council and the Wise Giving Alliance.