Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation Called into Question

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  17 Comments

In the wake of Wyclef Jean’s support of Haiti in its current earthquake crisis, a report by thesmokinggun.com was released today (January 15), calling into question the history of the rapper’s charity, the Yele Haiti Foundation.

As reported by ABC News, Clef has already raised upwards of $1 million through the non-profit in donations, yet TSG is weary of Haiti’s Goodwill Ambassador’s record-keeping. According to the paperwork filed with the Internal Revenue Services, the former Fugees frontman and his business partner have been compensated over $400,000 in rent, production services and appearance fees from the organization since its creation 12 years ago.

In fact, last year was the first time that Yele had filed tax returns with the IRS and they only disclosed information about the years, 2005, 2006 and 2009.

Calls to Jean’s reps have not been returned to XXLMag.com as of press time.

Stay tuned to XXL as this story develops. —Max G

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  • that nigga

    Niggas always tryna find some negative shit when people try and do good. Hopefully Wyclefs’ foundation is on the up and up to shut these fuckers mouth’s. What the fuck have y’all (ABC, TSG) done lately besided lie to the people?

    • General

      co-sign

      I hope he ain’t on some shady shit with this Foundation. The people of Haiti have suffered enough.

      • TheRefriedMexican

        IF WYCLEF & HIS FOUNDATION TRULY HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE THEN THEY SHOULD PRODUCE ALL TAX FORMS, ACCOUNTING RECORDS, EXPENSE HISTORY DOCUMENTS, ETC. WHEN RUNNING A CHARITY TRANSPARENCY IS A MUST. I’M JUST PLAYING THE DEVILS ADVOCATE HERE. CLEF SEEMS LIKE AN HONEST MAN TO ME BUT STILL YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. LETS SEE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION
        ++++
        +++
        ++
        +

  • AJH
  • miseri

    that’s only a lil over 33,000 a year… people who work for non profit organizations do get paid also… so it doesn’t sound like alot of money…people are stoopid

  • lBEEZY

    niggaz always gotta find some bad in everything. Fuck off smoking gun

  • these posts are racist

    I believe Wyclef is the real deal…people are compensated for running charities all the time, that in itself is not troubling. That said, there needs to be absolute transparency.

    • General

      Agreed. Wyclef has done a lot for his country, I just hope this doesn’t become a distraction or a reason for people not to give to help our brothers in Haiti

  • JesusObama

    I donated $25 to Clef’s foundation yesterday. Shiet, I don’t trust any of these foundations but I rather trust Wyclef over any of these other organizations. FEMA? REDCROSS? If you think these companies are here to help people, you need to go out more often.

    • Lunatikstwocents

      @JesusObama
      Redcross and Fema did help out during the Katrina, i should know i was a victim, they took a while to get organized, i guess cuz they were so overwhelmed, but i did see alot of volunteers and other organizations helping.

  • Picasso

    Clef blessin to you my dogg so many people are suffering right now, its time for us all to wake the fuck up cause that could be us over there.

  • http://www.my2centsarepriceless.blogspot.com Kay Jay

    Don’t question Clef when him & his wife been down there pulling dead bodies off the street since they arrived there on Wednesday morning.

    I don’t see ABC News or anybody from thesmokinggun.com moving corpses.

  • epinz

    Man….fuck tsg!!!!!

    They ain’t no better than the muthafuckas they expose. First, how u gunna put peoples business out there and label em sniches when u dry snichin urselves?!?! Second, even if that was the case and clefs shit ain’t on the up and up, why wouldn’t u just let it b? The man raised a milli in less than a week and its all goin to haiti. How much $ have u raised? So instead of helpin out in a time of need, u want to bring down or try to shine a negative light towards haitis biggest help in its worst hour. Clef done more in less than a week than our own government did for new orleans when katrina happend.

  • Nefarious

    This is not news, this is speculation. You CAN retain up to 40% of the money donated, as long as you can show it had something to do with operating cost of the foundation that you are devoting your TIME to. You may not like that, but its legal, WHITEFOLKS been doin it for years…

  • http://webs.geoffbrennan.com Gebra

    As a “still buy all his cds” fan of wyclef, who believes that the dude is a great guy doing great things for people, this would be awful if true – have faith in the guy: can you imagine what the dude’s going through?

    he’s the spokesman for an entire country to the western world, who probably lost half his extended family in this mess. he’s picking dead children off the street with his wife and now everyone’s saying he’s a fraud?

    Doubt it.

  • Pingback: XXLmag.com - » “Wyclef Jean Has Never Profited From his Organization,” Yele President Clarifies

  • Nyadenya

    Come on guys, we got to trust Wyclef. He put in work without government aid for 12 good years and its only now that he gets recognition. This Earthquake was a blessing in disguise. KOW (knock on wood)