DEARBORN, Mich. – Two Dearborn-based nonprofits are defending their operations after State Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt called for a federal review of their use of taxpayer funds.
Nesbitt, who is running for governor, sent a letter on Wednesday (Feb. 11) to the U.S. Attorney General requesting a review of ACCESS and the National Association of Yemeni Americans (NAYA), as well as the grant-oversight practices of several Michigan state agencies.
In his letter, Nesbitt outlined several concerns about “red flags” in the organization’s operations.
The senator’s request specifically questions whether certain “community health” funding might be used for purposes outside the primary scope of the grants.
“This is just a commonsense thing to make sure the books are open. Let’s make sure the services are actually being provided,” Nesbitt said. “This is all about making sure that every dollar that is being spent of hard-working taxpayers is being spent efficiently and effectively.”
ACCESS, the nation’s largest Arab American community nonprofit, issued a lengthy statement to Local 4 in response to the letter.
“We abide by the letter of the laws governing all nonprofits and are a gold standard in accountability, with full compliance to our funding requirements, including regular reviews and internal and external audits for all of our funded programs,” ACCESS said in a statement. “Like Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, a candidate for Michigan governor, ACCESS believes that Michiganders deserve a government that ‘consistently puts families first,’ as we have effectively done for 55 years.”
Local 4 also spoke to the CEO and president of NAYA.
He characterized the letter as “uncalled for” and rebutted the senator’s claims.
Nesbitt said the Department of Justice confirmed it received the letter and is reviewing the request.
Michigan Economic Development Corporation declined to comment on the story.