Two thoughts here. First – the rest of the story, as they say, should be very interesting. Second – now that Marc Dann has trotted this one out, expect A.G.s across the country to conduct their own investigations on this type of stuff. A good rule of thumb to prevent being ripped off yourself – is the same rule of thumb you should always adhere to – don’t ever give money to somebody who calls you – unless you know who they are and what they do – and not just because they tell you.

Of that money, however, only a tiny fraction has gone toward teddy bears, basketballs and other charitable purposes. According to the coalition’s own federal tax filing, less than 6 percent of revenue in 2005 — the latest year available — was devoted to charitable purposes.Most of the rest went into the pockets of Civic Development Group LLC, a New Jersey company that’s now being sued by the Ohio attorney general’s office over its fundraising practices for the troopers’ group and a Cleveland-area nonprofit for disabled veterans.

Read the Rest…