In a recent announcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Dixon Slingerland, a prominent Democratic fundraiser and former nonprofit executive, has been sentenced to prison by a federal court.
Slingerland, who was a significant donor and fundraiser for former President Barack Obama and the previous Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, was found guilty of misappropriating funds from his nonprofit organization to finance his extravagant lifestyle.
Slingerland was at the helm of the Youth Policy Institute (YPI), a federally-funded nonprofit with a mission to alleviate poverty in Los Angeles, from 1996 to 2019. According to the DOJ, he misused the organization's resources to settle his property taxes, fund a $6,000 dinner in New York City, hire an $11,000 private tutor for his family, and purchase nearly $2,000 worth of computer software and hardware.
The court has sentenced Slingerland to six months in prison and ordered him to pay $750,470 in fines. Additionally, he has been mandated to complete 200 hours of community service. The DOJ has reported that Slingerland misappropriated a total of $600,000 in grant funding, with the majority of the grant funding YPI received originating from the federal government, as per Slingerlands plea agreement.
Between 2006 and 2019, YPI received tens of millions of dollars from the federal government, as per a government spending database. A significant portion of the federal grant money that Slingerland's nonprofit received was disbursed during the Obama administration, for whom Slingerland was a major fundraiser. The New York Times listed Slingerland among Obamas largest fundraisers, having raised $743,713 for Obama between 2007 and 2012.
Slingerland was a frequent visitor to the White House during Obama's tenure, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. He was also deeply involved in political fundraising in Democrat-dominated Los Angeles, co-hosting at least six fundraising events in the city for former Democratic mayor Eric Garcetti. Furthermore, he donated substantial amounts to Los Angeles city officials who supervised his organizations programs.
Slingerland's personal contributions to Democratic causes were also significant. According to a Federal Election Commission database, he donated over $100,000 to Democratic candidates and committees between 2006 and 2020.
As the President of YPI, Slingerland was the personal guarantor of the organizations credit card and had the authority to sign checks using the organizations funds. He drew a salary of nearly $400,000 as the head of YPI, as per tax documents. The DOJ, when contacted by the Daily Caller News Foundation, declined to comment further on the matter.
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