Community Corner
American Legion Continues Censure of Cow Harbor Warriors
Fraud is latest accusation in ongoing dispute between veterans groups.
Northport American Legion Post 694 is accusing the Cow Harbor Warriors of fraud after obtaining documents filed by the veterans charity with the Suffolk County Veterans Services Agency.
In an Aug. 7 letter addressed to the Northport Village Board and the Huntington Town Board, Northport American Legion Spokesperson John Cooney says that the Cow Harbor Warriors were never affiliated with the Wounded Warrior Project, sat on funds for months, and may have used false claims of combat service and injuries to elicit donations from the public.
Related: Cow Harbor Warriors Agree to Have Finances Audited l Video: Cow Harbor Warrior Supporter Slams Northport American Legion l Videos: Groups Battle Over Second Wounded Warrior Weekend
Among their claims:
- Nothing was donated to wounded veterans until after the Legion called for an accounting of funds on Jan. 22, almost five months after the Sept. Wounded Warrior Weekend event.
- The CowHarbor Warriors were never partners or affiliated with the Wounded Warrior Project. As a result, in March 2013, counsel for the Wounded Warrior Project demanded that CHW turn over the funds from last year and that all Wounded Warrior Project logos and trademarks are removed from the CHW website and materials.
- Profit and Loss statements submitted by the CHW to the village and town were inaccurate. In financial documents submitted to the County Veterans Agency, numerous line items were changed and an additional $20,000 was found.
- After the legal enforcement division of the Wounded Warrior Project forced the Cow Harbor Warriors to turn over the funds, the CHW represented that they emptied their account and sent all the net proceeds ($82,000+) to the Wounded Warrior Project. As confirmed through their March 2013 bank statement, the CHW had approximately $14,000 left in the account after the money was sent to the Wounded Warrior Project
"It is unfortunate that instead of being honest, the Cow Harbor Warriors embarked on a campaign of deception and attempted to discredit the Legion, VFW, our Village Mayor and Trustees and our local reporter from the Northport Observer from speaking the truth," Cooney wrote. "Now that the truth is evident, we are in the process of filing a complaint with the New York State Attorney General's Office, Charities Bureau for charity fraud."
Cow Harbor Warriors President Rocco Donnino denied the accusations and said the CHW will soon release information in their defense as lawyers respond to the claims made by the American Legion.
"We are not going to let Mr Cooney and the American Legion continue to misrepresent us," he said Friday.
Plans for a second Wounded Warrior Weekend have been postponed indefinitely as the Northport Village Board continues to deny the group a permit, saying that it must first obtain a fundraising permit from the Suffolk County Veterans Services Agency. The permit has not been granted.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
