HE LATER CALLED POLICE TO REPORT THE CUTTING. STILL NO WORD ON WHERE CECILIA IS
TONIGHT.
>> STEVE SPRIESTER: ONE
ACCOUNTING EXPERTS SAID HE
COULD NOT BELIEVE THE THINGS HE
WAS READING A PROMINENT SAN
ANTONIO CHARITY WITH THAT OFF
THE BOOKS BANK ACCOUNT
EXAGGERATED DONATION ABOUT AND
ADULTS WITHOUT REQUIRED
BACKGROUND CHECKS.
>> ISIS ROMERO: WORKING WITH
CHILDREN AS A 19TH DILLON
COLLIER HAS LEARNED CATHOLIC
CHARITIES PROBLEMS DON’T
END THERE. THE CITY THE LATEST
PARTNER TO STEP UP AND TAKE
ACTION AGAINST THE NONPROFIT,
AS WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES
PUBLIC CHARITY, PRIVATE
PROBLEMS.
>> IT’S A MONDAY AFTERNOON IN LATE JULY WITH THE STORY OF 10 O’CLOCK TONIGHT AND ONCE AGAIN
WE ARE TRYING TO GET A COMMENT
DOESN’T THE PUBLIC HAVE A RIGHT
TO KNOW
ABOUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES
FINANCES AND SOME OF THE
FINDINGS OF THIS AUDIT FROM
THIS REPRESENTATIVE OF CATHOLIC
CHARITY SAN ANTONIO, WHICH
SERVES OUR
AREAS NEEDS LAST MONTH THE
DEFENDERS EXPOSED LEAKED
FINANCIAL RECORDS WHICH PAINT A
DISTURBING PICTURE OF ONE OF
THE CITY’S
LARGEST NONPROFIT. SO WHEN WE
WERE INVITED TO A PRESS
CONFERENCE ON MIGRANT
ASSISTANCE INSIDE TRAVIS
PARK CHURCH.
>> EVENT THAT CHARITY ANTONIO
FERNANDEZ WAS SCHEDULED TO
ATTEND NOR MISTER FERNANDEZ WAS
TODAY WHAT DID HE NOT COME WE
TOOK IT AS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
TO SEEK ANSWERS SIZE THE
CHARITY BEING SO DODGY WITH THE
QUESTIONS AND ENDED UP ON A
WALKING TOUR OF THE PLACE
UNTIL FINALLY THINK THAT I’VE
BEEN HERE FOR YOU.
>> THAT HOW DO WE GET A HOLD OF
MISTER FERNANDEZ WE GET
A COMMENT.
>> MORE THAN A DOZEN QUESTIONS
RESULTED IN A 7 WORD RESPONSE
DOCTOR COLLEEN BRIDGER THE
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WHO
OVERSEES THE MIGRANT
RESOURCE CENTER WAS SLIGHTLY
MORE FORTHCOMING ACKNOWLEDGING
A PREVIOUS CONVERSATION WITH
FERNANDEZ WAS THE CITY AWARE OF
CATHOLIC CHARITIES PAST 2
AUDIT’S WIN. COUNCIL ALLOCATED
THE MOST RECENT.
>> A SERIES OF FUNDS FOR THEM
IN MAY. ANTONIO GIVE US A HEADS
UP THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS WE
HAVE GIVEN FUNDING TO COME
♪
CHARITIES FOR YEARS.
>> AT NO CHALLENGES WITH THEM.
BUT THIS MEMO WRITTEN BY
BRIDGER
SAYS DIFFERENTLY JUST 3 DAYS
BEFORE THIS PRESS CONFERENCE
BEHIND
THE SCENES, CATHOLIC CHARITIES
HAD SUBMITTED A CORRECTIVE
ACTION PLAN TO THE CITY’S
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BECAUSE OF SEVERAL
CONCERNS DISCOVERED IN A CITY
REVIEW OF THE NONPROFIT EARLIER
THIS SUMMER LIKE MISSING
DOCUMENTS FOR PAYROLL HEALTH
INSURANCE WORKERS COMPENSATION
AND OFFICE SUPPLIES. BANK
STATEMENTS THAT COULDN’T BE
RECONCILED AND PROBLEM EXPENSES
THAT FORCED THE CITY TO
WITHHOLD MORE THAN $2000
IN REIMBURSEMENTS WEEKS LATER
DURING A FORMAL INTERVIEW ON
THE CITY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH
CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
>> BRIDGER WAS FAR LESS
DIPLOMATIC AND WHAT WE SAW WAS
A PATTERN OF
PROBLEMS.
>> THIS FISCAL YEAR ALONE.
THE CITY IS GIVEN THE CHARITY
NEARLY A QUARTER MILLION
DOLLARS FOR
VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND NOW EVEN
BRIDGER ADMITS WHEN IT COMES TO
HANDLING MONEY. >> OVER THE YEARS THEY SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN WORSE NOT BETTER
BRIDGES MEMO WRITTEN ONE DAY
AFTER WE AIRED OUR FIRST STORY
ON
THE NONPROFIT REVEAL THAT
CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAS NOW BEEN
PLACED IN HIGH RISK STATUS BY
THE CITY.
>> MEANING THAT EVERY INVOICE
EVERY RECEIPT FROM THE CHARITY
WILL BE CLOSELY EXAMINED BEFORE
BEING PAID. IT ALSO MEANS THAT CATHOLIC CHARITIES MUST MAKE THE CHANGES IN A CORRECTIVE
ACTION PLAN SO THIS IS A
ROUTINE AUDIT THAT CAME WITH
SOME THINGS THAT WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE TO DRILL DOWN ON HOW LONG
DOES THIS GO ON BEFORE THE CITY
STEPS IN AND DOES SOMETHING
MORE THAN.
>> PLACE THEM IN A HIGH-RISK
CATEGORY WELL YEAH WELL SAY THE
DEPARTMENT HUMAN SERVICES IS
NOTIFIED THEM AND ASKED THEM TO
PROVIDE A CRYPT THE
ACTION PLAN A LOT OF THAT IS A
MERE LOSE TO THE NOT
PROFIT STANDPOINT IF THEY HAVE
ISSUES PART OF THAT IS MAKING
SURE THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION
PLAN WHICH WE’VE ASKED THEM TO
SUBMIT TO US THE SECOND
PART IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT
THEY’RE PUTTING THOSE PIECES IN
PLACE AND THAT’S WHAT ANY
OTHER QUESTIONS.
>> CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHARITY’S
TRANSPARENCY CONTINUE TO BUILD
AS WELL BEXAR COUNTY RECORDS SHOW IT DOLED OUT NEARLY $270,000 TO THE NON PROFIT THIS
FISCAL YEAR BUT DIDN’T GET A COPY OF THAT PROBLEM FILLED 2018 AUDIT OF THE CHARITY.
UNTIL THE DEFENDERS
CONTACTED THEM. HOURS BEFORE
OUR INITIAL REPORT AND
THERE’S MORE LAST SEPTEMBER THE
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
INFORMED
CATHOLIC CHARITIES THAT IT HAD
PLACED A FINANCIAL HOLD ON SOME
OF ITS FUNDING.
AFTER THE NONPROFIT FAILED TO
TURN OVER ITS 2017 AUDIT
DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS FROM
STATE OFFICIALS VIA TELEPHONE
AN EMAIL TO GET A COPY OF IT.
>> YOU KNOW WE’RE NOT GOING TO
CONTINUE INDEFINITELY, I’M FINDING THE SAME PROBLEM OVER AND OVER AND CONTINUING TO FIND
ANY ORGANIZATION WHAT COMES
AFTER HIGH RISK IF THE PROBLEMS
CONTINUE IS THERE
ANOTHER LIKE.
>> EXTREME HIGH RISK OR IS THIS
THE END OF THE ROAD THAT’S THE
END OF THE ROUND AND THEN
THERE’S THIS INSIDE SOURCES AND
DOCUMENTS LIKE THIS SHOW THAT
LAST YEAR CATHOLIC CHARITIES
COMMUNICATION WITH THE
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE HAD BECOME SO
POUR ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PASSED
A RESOLUTION ON WHAT TO DO IN
THE EVENT IT LOST ALL OF ITS
FUNDING THE GOVERNOR SET ASIDE
FOR IT TO ASSIST CRIME VICTIMS
FOR THE DEFENDERS DILLON
COLLIER KSAT
12 NEWS.
>> STEVE SPRIESTER: CATHOLIC
CHARITIES ANTONIO FERNANDEZ
LATER APOLOGIZED TO THE
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE AND THE
CHARITY GOT TO KEEP ITS
FUNDING. WE ASKED FERNANDEZ FOR
AN INTERVIEW FOR THIS STORY,
INSTEAD THE DEFENDERS RECEIVED
A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM A
CATHOLIC
CHARITIES SPOKESWOMAN IS SAYING
IN PART THAT THEY ARE WORKING
DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE THEIR
ACCOUNTING AND THAT THE CITY OF
SAN ANTONIO CONTINUES TO STAND