Feed the Children Accuses Founder of Taking Bribes

The battle over control of Feed the Children, one of the nation’s biggest antipoverty charities, became even more bitter when the charity accused its founder in court of taking bribes and trying to secretly record conversations of top executives.

For the first time, Feed the Children spelled out some of the reasons why it fired its founder and president, Larry Jones, in November and outlined misdeeds that it said justified his departure.

A lawyer for Mr. Jones said the former president has not done anything wrong. Mr. Jones is now suing to get his job back.

In court documents, Feed the Children said it fired Mr. Jones, in part, because he sought to record his conversations with top executives last spring, which the organization said was conduct “forbidden” by the charity.

Another reason Feed the Children said it fired Mr. Jones: because it said he had secretly sought kickbacks or corporate bribes. “Larry Jones has solicited and accepted cash payments from entities that receive millions of dollars from FTC,” the organization said.

The charity said Mr. Jones also apparently kept some travel-expense money; retained honoraria received for making public appearances for the organization; misused charity employees to “act a nanny” for a child living in his home; put his niece on the payroll in a job that paid a substantial salary; and secretly gave himself a pay raise.

In addition, the charity said “certain pornographic material was found hidden in his office” and at another place at the charity.

Trading Accusations

In a statement, Feed the Children’s board said that “while Larry Jones has presented the conflict as a struggle for control of Feed the Children, or a power struggle within the Jones family, this has been nothing more than the Board of Directors acting in its capacity as the governing body of the organization.”

Board members, “along with certain members of upper management, have worked for the past two years to correct the misguided actions and directions of Larry Jones,” the board statement said.

Mr. Jones has said that his daughter—Larri Sue Jones, the charity’s vice president and general counsel—has been a key figure in stirring turmoil at Feed the Children, and he has also criticized members of the organization’s board.

Mr. Jones declined to comment for this article.

But Mark Hammons, his lawyer, said Mr. Jones has done nothing improper. Mr. Hammons blamed members of the charity’s board for making “disappointing and inappropriate” allegations.

“Larry Jones did not build Feed the Children through 30 years of work by not operating above board,” Mr. Hammons said.

“For you to believe the charges against him—the things board members are in essence manufacturing so that they can gain control of the organization—you have to believe that for years and years he has been misusing the organization for his own benefit,” Mr. Hammons said. “Larry Jones has a sterling reputation and that will be proven to be true.”

A Year of Turmoil

The firing of Mr. Jones marked a tumultuous year at Feed the Children, in which Mr. Jones tried to oust several board members; saw the trustees temporarily restored to office by a court; and then agreed to give up management powers and serve as a fund raiser and spokesman before he was let go.

Just before he was fired, Mr. Jones acknowledged that he had sought to record conversations with top executives at the charity but said the effort was legal—because he intended to record only his discussions with officials—and intended to generate an honest account of what was being said.

Mr. Hammons said that Mr. Jones has never taken a bribe.

Mr. Jones told The Oklahoman newspaper that he had once asked a charity supplier for help with legal expenses.

Mr. Jones also told the newspaper that, years ago, he was paid about $10,000 a month in sales commissions by a company that purchased television time for the charity’s programs. He said he was paid because he had recruited ministers to hire the company for their own fund-raising spots to be broadcast before or after Feed the Children programs.

Mr. Hammons said that Mr. Jones “has always been very careful to try to make sure he does the right thing” when it comes to handling travel expenses and honoraria.

On the matter of pornography at Feed the Children, Mr. Hammons said that Mr. Jones has previously written about the “evils of pornography” and is doing so again for a book.

Unfortunately, said Mr. Hammons, “you can’t be a credible spokesman on the issue of pornography if you don’t know what’s out there.”

He added: “To suggest that this was secreted away is nonsense and a lie.”