Nonprofit head: Group's donations unfairly scrutinized
By: Bill Myers
Examiner Staff Writer
April 9, 2009
Ron Moten, the embattled leader of a nonprofit group that is at the center of the controversial firetruck and ambulance donation to a Caribbean beach town, said he has been unfairly scrutinized simply for doing a good deed.
“If we would have thought that trying to help ... would have brought about all this chaos, we wouldn’t have done it,” Moten said.
Earlier this month, The Examiner reported that D.C. had given Moten and his group, Peaceoholics, exclusive control of a “surplus” firetruck and ambulance that Moten in turn donated to Sosua, the Dominican Republic. Public outcry forced the city to recall the gift but hasn’t forced a public explanation from the Fenty administration.
The controversy has escalated, and earlier this week two top legal advisers of Mayor Adrian Fenty were linked to the donation. Moten said he got involved toward the end of a process that began in 2007 when his friend, William Walker, founder of the nonprofit video production company Faith Productions, led a team of youngsters to Sosua for a youth boxing tournament.
Walker later brought a delegation of Dominicans back to the District and asked the city government about donating rescue equipment to the resort town, Moten said.
“He took out a second mortgage on his house for the first trip,” Moten said. “People promised him he’d get help from the city for trip, but when the money didn’t come, he didn’t want to let the kids down.”
Walker was later given a proclamation of thanks from the city council for the trip.
Among those who also came in to help was Sinclair Skinner, Fenty’s fraternity brother and one of the mayor’s lifelong friends, sources said.
Examiner intern Teddy Kahn contributed to this report.
