Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a settlement requiring a veterans' charity to stop soliciting donations.
An investigation into Florida-based Healing Heroes Network and Hero Giveaways showed the organization allegedly misused funds meant to provide medical care and other benefits to veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11, according to a news release.
Donations were used to pay professional fundraisers, online advertising fees, the salaries of two of the organization's directors and to purchase T-shirts from a family member's business, the release said.
"As Attorney General, I will continue to aggressively pursue any organization that deceptively uses veterans to persuade Minnesotans to donate their hard-earned dollars to illegitimate causes," Ellison said in a statement.
The organization solicited about $56,000 from Minnesotans between 2015 and 2017, according to the release. The former directors — Stacey, Neal and Allan Spiegel — will be banned for five years from overseeing, managing and soliciting donations for any nonprofit. They will also be required to pay $95,000 to veterans' charities.
The settlement stems from an investigation by the Attorney General's Office and a group of attorneys in California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.
Alex Chhith • 612-673-4759
Wisconsin quadruplets begin college from childhood home
Ralph Lauren drops Justin Thomas after gay slur heard on TV
Man arrested, charged in connection with fatal St. Paul crash

'Nothing left undone' to guard Capitol during possible protests
