In an effort to tackle the murky finances of the organization, the Black Lives Matter group recently appointed a new leader. It has been reported that the new executive, Cicley Gay is a non-profit advisor who has filed for bankruptcy three times and has been ordered by the court to attend financial management lessons.
The 44-year-old's appointment was announced by BLM's Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) on April 27, as the organization attempts to 'straighten out their finances' after being heavily criticized for overspending its cash donations.
The organization made the announcement on Twitter where it mentioned that Gay will be the chair of the three-member board. Referring to the rapid growth the organization has witnessed in the past few years, Gay told the New York Times that the focus will now be towards building a systematized framework.
According to federal reports revealed by NY Post, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2005, 2013 and 2016.
The most recent filing from August 2016 showed the Atlanta-based consultant had nearly $120,000 in debts, which included owing $55,000 in student loans from when she studied at the Liberty University in Virginia and the University of Kansas, NY Post reported.
There was $7,000 in medical expenses and more than $18,000 for leasing a Lincoln MKZ sedan. Apart from all this she also owed $8,000 to two Christian schools.
Gay applied for bankruptcy protection in 2013 but her application was tossed out due to the failure of the court administrative fee of $306. In her most recent filing for bankruptcy in 2016, she was asked if she had registered a business in the past four years the response of which was negative from her side however, according to Georgia state records Gay founded a PR and consultancy firm, The Amplifiers which was later dissolved in August 2017.
As per the Daily Mail, the non-profit advisor was also ordered by the court to attend courses on managing her money, and she completed one on December 15, 2016. While many of her debts were 'discharged' as per records, but it is still not clear under what terms.
The BLM foundation remains under heavy scrutiny as more and more reports about the organization's financial handling are made public. In a lengthy Twitter thread, the group made it clear that their focus will be towards ensuring more transparency in its operations in the future.
