L.A. COUNTY AIDS OFFICE SUED HEALTH FOUNDATION CITES CONFLICT OF INTEREST.Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer The AIDS Healthcare Foundation The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is a non profit, Los Angeles-based AIDS treatment and advocacy center. Their official founding pledge is to "provide cutting-edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay. has filed an amended lawsuit against Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County's AIDS office, alleging its officials were involved in conflicts of interest and wasted taxpayer funds. The lawsuit also alleges that the county has attempted to silence the foundation for criticizing it by pursuing a campaign to close the area's only AIDS hospice, which is owned and operated by the foundation. ``Despite having an official statutory mandate to serve the acute health needs of this community in the fairest and most efficient way possible, (the Office of AIDS Programs and Policy) have indulged and continue to indulge in the very favoritism, professional back-scratching and retaliation that state lawmakers have been battling for years,'' foundation attorney Katy Robison wrote in the suit. Robison also alleged that the OAPP OAPP Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs OAPP Open Application has not accounted for $80 million in taxpayer funds. Public Health Chief of Operations John Schunhoff said a judge ruled against the foundation on many of its points in its first complaint and the county is preparing a response to the new allegations. He denied that $80 million in taxpayer funds is missing. ``It had to do with how detailed they were keeping track of dividing up expenditures and showing how much was spent in this area of the county and in other areas,'' Schunhoff said. The amended lawsuit comes nearly eight months after the director of the program, Charles Henry For other persons named Charles Henry, see Charles Henry (disambiguation). Charles Henry (1859- ? ) was a French librarian and editor. He was born at Bollwiller, Haut-Rhin, and was educated in Paris, where in 1881 he became assiatant and afterward librarian in the Sorbonne. , was removed from his post and placed on ``special assignment'' to Schunhoff. County investigators found that Henry broke state law by taking a leave of absence and soliciting campaign contributions on behalf of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. from OAPP employees and contractors, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an Aug. 3 letter from Schunhoff contained in the Civil Service Commission file. Henry has appealed the suspension. His Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. attorney, Winston Kevin McKesson, could not be reached for comment. Villaraigosa has denied he had any knowledge of Henry's actions. In the lawsuit, Robison also alleges that Henry was a paid member of West Hollywood's Human Services Commission, which recommends funding for HIV-related programs. Robison alleges it was a conflict of interest because Henry played a role on the commission and as director of the OAPP in awarding funding for HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. programs. Robison alleges that it resulted in the waste of taxpayer funds due to the contracts being awarded based on Henry's personal and financial interests in his continued employment with the commission and in increasing AIDS funding levels in West Hollywood. ``Because he had the two positions, money was allocated to the Westside when it was more needed in other areas where more people were in need,'' Robison said. ``Census data indicated there were more people with HIV who needed treatment in places like the San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and to the west of the Inland Empire. .'' Troy Anderson, (213) 974-8985 troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com |
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