Politics
Prince George’s seeks return of grant funds as scrutiny widens over awards to council chair’s friend
A California-based fiscal sponsor has returned $7.635 million of about $12.8 million Prince George’s County awarded from 2024 through 2026 to support Community on the Frontline. County officials are pursuing the remaining funds as council members and the county executive call for a closer examination of how the grants were approved.
Prince George’s County says a California-based foundation has returned $7.635 million in public grant money connected to Community on the Frontline, as pressure grows for an investigation into how the awards were made.
County Executive Aisha Braveboy said Thursday that her office determined about $12.8 million was awarded between 2024 and 2026 to the Edward Charles Foundation. The foundation served as fiscal sponsor for Community on the Frontline, a Maryland-based group that is not registered as a nonprofit.
The returned amount represents about 60% of the funds the county had released to the foundation. Braveboy said her office is working with the sponsor to recover the rest in the coming days.
“Every resident in Prince George’s County is entitled to an accounting of all money spent by the Edward Charles Foundation,” Braveboy said in a statement, adding that the returned grant money should benefit county taxpayers.
The grant process is under scrutiny in part because Community on the Frontline is owned by Janna Parker, a close friend of County Council Chair Krystal Oriadha. Oriadha has repeatedly denied that her relationship with Parker or the group influenced the awards.
Braveboy has called for an immediate investigation of all funds handled through the County Council’s grants office. The county’s Office of Audits and Investigations has also issued subpoenas seeking documents from the grants office related to awards connected to the group.
At-large council members Jolene Ivey and Sydney Harrison have called for an independent audit of Community on the Frontline and another organization linked to Council member Edward Burroughs, including how both groups received millions in grants. Some council members had previously raised concerns after learning that Community on the Frontline received more than $8.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants.
On Oct. 13, Braveboy and Oriadha asked that the group return $7.63 million, along with any other county funds. Community on the Frontline said it would ask its fiscal sponsor to return the remaining money and that it was prepared to seek future funding through the county’s standard grant process.
County officials say they intend to recover the funds and distribute the money directly to Prince George’s County organizations with more oversight.