Report Questions Critic’s Claims About Big Veterans Charity

Claims of waste and misspending by the Wounded Warrior Project that led the Florida-based veterans’ group to sue a vocal critic for defamation appear in some areas to be unfounded, according to the Independent Voter Network.

The news site consulted nonprofit experts and vetted tax filings to examine allegations leveled in online posts by Alex Graham, an Iraq war veteran who runs a small Indiana charity for former troops, that little of the tens of millions of dollars Wounded Warrior raises annually directly benefits is health and rehabilitative services for injured veterans.

Mr. Graham contended that Wounded Warrior spent 3.5 percent of its $154-million in 2012 fundraising on assistance to veterans, but that figure represents only the group’s grants to other nonprofits. It reported spending $69-million on in-house programs and services.

The report also assesses Mr. Graham’s criticisms of Wounded Warrior for having $90-million in net assets and paying its CEO more than $300,000 a year and addresses questions about whether its recreational and cognitive-therapy programs measurably help veterans recover from post-traumatic stress and combat injuries.