Legal-Services Group Is Accused of Mismanagement

Executives at the Legal Services Corporation, a nonprofit group created by Congress to provide legal help to people who cannot afford a lawyer, have been accused by three Congressional committees of spending extravagantly on chauffeur-driven rides, foreign travel, and meals, while the organization turns away half of its applicants, citing a lack of funds, the Associated Press reports.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is threatening to withhold federal money if the organization does not cut its lavish spending.

Thomas C. Polgar, the organization’s spokesman, said the group’s president and chairman “are aware they are using taxpayer funds and try to operate in a manner that is frugal and appropriate.”