A once prominent violence interrupter group in Minneapolis is now the target of a new lawsuit filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
The lawsuit accuses We Push for Peace and two of its former officers and directors, Trahern Pollard and Jaclyn McGuigan, of misusing charitable assets, violating nonprofit governance laws, lying to the Attorney General's Office.
They're also accused of running the nonprofit into the ground to steal business for personal gain.
“We Push for Peace’s former leaders betrayed their basic duties to the nonprofit and communities they were supposed to serve,” Attorney General Ellison said. “Instead of helping the community, they helped themselves to millions of dollars that should have gone into the community.:
All together, Ellison says more than $6.5 million in charitable assets was misused, with Pollars allegedly using $6 million on luxury cars, trips to Las Vegas, child support payments, and funding his for-profit liquor store and car dealership businesses.
"During Operation Metro Surge, when we needed nonprofits providing social services and community support the most, We Push for Peace was utterly incapable of assisting Minnesotans," Ellison adds. "When my Office asked questions, Pollard and McGuigan lied about key facts, continued to misuse assets, and ultimately caused the demise of the nonprofit. We filed this lawsuit to redress these harms and hold its former leaders accountable.”
