Celebrity Events Fueled by City Money

A former city official, who once led a high‑profile community program, has been charged with misusing public funds. She allegedly used her position to host lavish events and promote personal projects, siphoning money from a $120 million initiative aimed at supporting Black residents after the 2020 George Floyd shooting.

Key Allegations

• Salary and Oversight
  Chief of the Human Rights Commission: $350,000 annual salary while supervising a $120 million program.

• Diversion of Funds
  Collective Impact (a partner nonprofit) received almost $8.5 million in grants from 2021‑2024. Prosecutors claim these funds were turned into a “slush fund” for events featuring well‑known figures and the official’s children’s book.

• Excessive Expenditures
• $10,000 speaker fee to Sonya Curry.
• After‑party costing $4,810.50 at a restaurant owned by her husband, chef Michael Mina, billed as part of a “critical dialogue” event for youth.
• More than $5,500 spent on Curry’s memoir and charged to another city agency.
• Performances by Goapele, Ledisi, D‑Nice, and Emily King totaling over $30,000.
• Banquet with journalist Nikole Hannah‑Jones costing over $20,500.

• Restaurant buyout in October 2022 at $5,000.

• Book Promotion
  The office paid a public relations firm and shipped over 200 pounds of books to a New Orleans hotel during a cultural festival, all under the guise of book promotion.

• Personal Benefits
• VIP tickets, first‑class flight upgrades.
• Son’s university tuition paid from city funds.
• Contracts with Homeless Children’s Network worth more than $3.5 million allegedly paid her son $140,000 for unrelated “research” work.

Aftermath

• The official stepped down in 2024.
• New leadership was appointed, and reforms were introduced to prevent conflicts of interest.
• The mayor proposed merging the troubled agency with another department to form a new human rights body.