On Friday, I again appeared on Follow the Money with Eric Bolling on Fox Business Network to discuss our IRS Complaint against the Barack H. Obama Foundation. Eric talked to Obongo Obama, the President’s brother, who Juan Williams called a “small time guy.” Here’s a transcript:
Eric Bolling: President Obama’s brother Abongo has been accused of running a charity scam. The Barack H. Obama Foundation claims to be a nonprofit that collects tax-deductible donations. Reports say that is just not true. The charity has been never been properly registered while claiming to have a budget of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. I did what we do here at “Follow the Money.” We followed the money and got Abongo on the phone from his home in Kenya. Take a listen to this interview and decide for yourself if he is a do-gooder or a con artist.
Abongo Obama: If I am misappropriating, call me on this. I am not being — maybe we are because of what we lack. We are fighting for our tax exemption. It is not an easy thing to do. 59 minutes or something like that is not something you just do that simply because you have to make correct — what do you call it? What is the word? Lots of applications. You ever look at that form and it looks easy. We have had personnel or somebody to qualify for assistance.
Eric Bolling: The question I have is why do you call it the Barack H. Obama Foundation?
Abongo Obama: Because of my father. That is my father’s name.
Eric Bolling: I understand that.
Abongo Obama: How could you ask me such a question?
Eric Bolling: There are a lot of people who would say you are using it because it’s your brother’s name, the president of the United States, not necessarily because it is your father’s name.
Abongo Obama: Even if I was, so what? What is the crime in that? If I can use it for good, what is wrong with that? What are you doing to help humanity? Let me ask you yourself. Did you make any contribution to the foundation?
Eric Bolling: To your foundation? I have not.
Abongo Obama: Then what is your problem? We are in difficulties. There is an idea, a good idea. I’m trying to do things or make my contribution —
Eric Bolling: But maybe, sir —
Abongo Obama: I’m being vindicated. Only God knows why — when I knew him he was not fighting for president or anything like that. He was just a simple kid in the Bronx. Something happened and he is President of United States. What do you give him some credit? And he killed Osama. Why don’t you give him some credit.
Eric Bolling: He killed Osama, give him some credit. Let’s bring it out to our special Abongo Obama panel, FOX News contributor Juan Williams, Attorney Ken Bezozo, and NLPC chairman Ken Boehm who just filed another complaint against the Barack H. Obama Foundation in Virginia for soliciting charitable contributions without active registration. Mr. Boehm, what is your complaint?
Ken Boehm: The complaint is as simple as a complaint can be. Virginia law like every other state says you can’t solicit contributions unless you are registered and filing information with the state of Virginia. They did not do that much the same as they didn’t file with the IRS. It is a textbook example of an off-the-books, fake charity.
Eric Bolling: So you’re saying he is a con artist?
Ken Boehm: He is telling them they get a tax deduction. They’re registered with the IRS and both of those are false.
Eric Bolling: Hang on. Let me go to you. He told us he did file in Virginia but has yet to file the IRS papers.
Ken Bezozo: Subject to fact because we don’t have the full story, you are looking at a situation where you have 27 months to file those and if he doesn’t file them, of that organization is in the regular taxable organization like Ford Motor company.
Eric Bolling: Would that be fraud?
Ken Bezozo: Fraud is a strong word. If he collected a couple thousand dollars it might be deemed –
Eric Bolling: He said something like $18,000 was raised from 2008 in this charity but also he thought there was a $25,000 threshold. Is he right or wrong?
Ken Bezozo: No, there is no $25,000 threshold.
Eric Bolling: Juan, after we aired this without hearing his words we through to you and use that it sounded like corruption but hearing it now and understanding where he is coming from what do you think?
Juan Williams: I think he is just trying to scratch out something. It sounded pathetic. He said he didn’t understand why his brother became president of the United States. He didn’t ask to be his brother. It sounded like a small time guy.
Previously in reading about this I read where some students from the Missouri State University had gone there and one of the professors with the Nobel Peace prize winner who came away with a very negative impression. It sounded to him like he was a scoundrel and corrupt. But listening to him sound like a small time guy. It was his money. It sounded like –
Eric Bolling: It was a compelling 38 minutes. He is a very good talker. We were going to look at this a little bit more with the same panel.
Juan Williams: Eric, I want to say this is what “Follow the Money” should be doing, and hats off to you.
Eric Bolling: We will take another look at this after the break.
Commercial Break
Eric Bolling: Welcome back to “Follow the Money.” I spoke to President Obama’s brother several times over two days. He admitted difficulties running his charity, but opened up about his relationship with his younger brother, the president of the United States. Take a listen.
Abongo Obama: I didn’t ask to be his brother. It was an act of god. As I said we are having difficulty because we lack the foundation, the resources. There has not been the support that we thought there would be. We had some — what do you call it — and all of the things that we are trying to find for the longest time. If you want I can send you — we have a mission to get registered and everything.
Check my account or our account in there. There is only $40 in there. The only contribution we have been getting is the contribution, in 2008, only $18,000. And most of it from myself and his friends.
Eric, do me a favor. I don’t mean to getting up on your anything like that. It gets on my nerves because all these people are attacking him like that. I am the oldest in the family. I take responsibility for everything.
Eric Bolling: Sir, I think people really would like to see handled properly with the proper documentation, number one, and the clarity on the name are the two issues the name of the foundation —
Abongo Obama: Look at the website. It is in memory of my dad. It is not dependent on my brother.
Eric Bolling: Let’s bring it out to the whole panel. Dave, should the president get out in front of this?
David Webb: If nothing else, and I don’t want to impeach him or convict him but I would get him some help. Let’s say on the other side he is legitimate and just in over his head. If I were the president I would get him some help, get it done right. My question is the red flags about this. The 1023 form. I have been through this process.
Eric Bolling: David, 30 pages. I downloaded it, a lot of questions.
Bernard Whitman: I totally disagree with you. If I were the president or his staff I would stay as far away as possible. We Democrats have a 50 year history of being embarrassed by our brothers, particularly are half- brothers.
Kimberly Guilfoyle: Somebody should help clean it up. Whatever you want to call it he is breaking the law and needs to get it together and continues to do so should be prosecuted.
Eric Bolling: Dr. Heldman, what do you think? Should the president called his brother and say stop taking Bolling’s phone calls for one?
Caroline Heldman: Yes. I would absolutely not take any more of your phone calls. You do a good investigative job here. I would hope the president would help him. This is another Roger Clinton situation. He is breaking the law. And it is ironic. It sounded he was complaining not enough people were contributing to the charity. Someone needs to help this man.
Eric Bolling: I say that in good humor. If I offend you won’t say it.
Caroline Heldman: I was not calling you a sexist.
Eric Bolling: Ken, can you help this man?
Ken Bezozo: Any attorney with basic training in the tax field could help him. It is not hard.
Eric Bolling: Very quickly. If he fixes this issue will you drop the lawsuit?
Ken Boehm: We don’t have a lawsuit. We have a complaint. We will let this — the complaint stands because for three years he was violating the law.
Eric Bolling: That is Bernard Whitman and Kimberly Guilfoyle and David Webb. Great show, everybody. And Dr. Caroline Heldman. I love you, you are a great guest. We appreciate your time. Have a great weekend, everybody.
Related:
Boehm: Where is Obama Foundation Money Going?
IRS Asked to Investigate Charity Run by Obama’s Brother