Lakewood, NJ – Kars4Kids has written to VIN News a respond to the December 12th article in the Newark Star Ledger [not posted on VIN News] involving the suggestion that Kars4Kids or any of its related charities have been involved in financial misdeeds, including money laundering or other illegal practices. Not only are any such suggestions completely false the newspaper report is based on unjustified accusations in court papers from a court case that has nothing at all to do with Kars4Kids. Those papers do make serious accusations against a number of charities involving millions of dollars. BUT KARS4KIDS IS NOT ONE OF THEM!
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The article states at the very beginning that “At issue are millions in payments to Kars4Kids and more than 60 other registered charities.” This is completely misleading. No one — not even the lawyers who made the original claims — has EVER said that “millions” of dollars having anything to do with Eliyahu Weinstein have ever been paid by, through or to Kars4Kids. (In fact Mr. Weinstein has never even donated to our charity!) Of all the transactions involving Kars4Kids that the lawyer in question claimed “carry the scent of money laundering,” despite the impression left by the newspaper article, KARS4KIDS IS NOT ONE OF THEM!
In fact, the same lawyer who made these claims filed an extensive list in court detailing the “millions of dollars” he thinks may be money laundering, down to the penny. Anyone can download this list from the Internet. It names every one of the 68 Jewish charities he is accusing of possible involvement in this crime and the specific amounts involved. KARS4KIDS IS NOT ONE OF THEM!
The Star Ledger chose to write about the “local angle” — a New Jersey charity whose name people recognize because of its success. The magnetism of such a story to its readers, when mixed with the “religious wrongdoers” claims, was raw meat to the newspaper. It was prepared to publish this story no matter how desperately it had to cut and paste unconnected “facts” or even unconnected accusations. There are serious accusations against charities in this lawsuit, but KARS4KIDS IS NOT ONE OF THEM!
So what is the Kars4Kids “connection”? A few years ago Kars4Kids was involved with a single transaction with a third party. That third party in turn conveyed money to the defendant in that lawsuit, Eliyahu Weinstein, with no direct involvement of Kars4Kids. Two years prior Oorah, Inc., a related charity, exchanged its old office 421 West County Line Road for the office building located next door to its current headquarters at 1785 Swarthmore. The lawyer involved in the present Weinstein litigation, seeing the name of Kars4Kids in banking records produced in the case, served us with a subpoena so he could satisfy his clients that nothing “went on” with Kars4Kids and his client’s money. We resisted the subpoena at first because it was unnecessarily invasive and broad. Our charity has nothing to hide, but is obligated to protect its donors privacy and its own private information. We filed a motion in that court to quash the subpoena and eventually worked out a friendly agreement to give them what they needed to go on with their case. That litigation is going on and involves a large number of accusations, suspected transactions and defendants. KARS4KIDS IS NOT ONE OF THEM!
Kars4Kids is the real deal. We have nothing to hide and because the public has supported our programs so generously we have no need to make money the dishonest way, and never have. There are lots of negative stories out there, unfortunately, that put Klal Yisroel in a bad light, and a lot of people and institutions that bear great guilt for causing Chillul Hashem by their actions. KARS4KIDS IS NOT ONE OF THEM!
If Kars4Kids were so clean they would have a great defamation suit on their hands for bug $$$$. As soon as I see K4K taking the ledger to the cleaners I will believe the “K4K is not one of them and that K4K is the real deal”.
cars for kids has an outstanding reputation of always dealing streight. the orginization made the unfortunate mistake of purchasing a property from a “controversial” charachter . person “A” (a very respectible person) lost a lot of money through this above mentioned charcter and will stop at nothing to find it and get it back, he has a take no prisoners attitude (not unjustly) which is causing cars for kids name to be dragged into the middle of a third party dispute between the character and person “A” who is just trying to recover his lost money. it is very sad to see an orginization that does so much good and never cuts corners have their name dragged in the dirt .the star ledger did massive amounts of damage to a good charity and should be sued for defamation. anyone who knows the administrator of these charities mentioned in this article knows he is the best kind of person there is . (a holy person) he built a huge orginization from ground up and never took any personal gain. he would never step outside the bounds of the law .just because its a charity in lakewood mentioned in the same article as criminals it does not make them guilty think before you judge
Anonymous, that is because you don’t understand how difficult it is to succeed in court on a defamation claim. Savvy publishers know how to give a powerful false impression without actually crossing the line into defamation, which is nearly impossible in this country. If you read the Star Ledger story closely, you will see that it actually asserts much less than it promises to about K4K.
Shouldn’t your attitude be, “As soon as I see evidence demonstrating that K4K has been involved in the wrongdoing suggested in that article I will believe they are no longer entitled to the benefit of the doubt”?
We will find out if it’s true if they sue
thank you VIN for clarifying this.as i was reading through all the court documents i could’t find the connection to kars 4kids and was baffled as to why they were in the heading-now i realize that the reporter needed something sensational in the heading so he picked on a national name that is unrelated to the case just to give his story some hype
I like the line in the last paragraph, where they assert that because the public has supported them so generously “we have no need to make money the dishonest way”.
May we infer that if they had the “need” they might.
sue those guys at the ledger
this is another piece of yellow journalism by a paper that didn’t have any stories over the weekend.
I hear many advertisements for them, but what do they do? Can anyone enlighten me?
Is this one doing a Dweck2 on us yehudim?
How many lessons do we need, a crook even our own must be publisiczed, see the Chofetz Chaim in one place says that Yidden may even warn a Goy, if another Yid is going to rip him off to avoid chilul Hashem.
How many people have to get hurt, how many Mosdos manipulated & bribed, & how many innocent bystander ripped off, or pleading guilty so as not to moiser, B4 acheinu benei Yisroel learn not to trust a crook, or do business with him, or accept tzedokah from him.
I heard [cannot confirm] that there was aparlor meeting for a mosod in Lakewood ,where r’ shmuel kaminetzky was supposed to be guest of honor, he found out this character was hosting it [after he tossed him from Philly as a high school scammer]. R’ Shmuel would not attend.
Kudos, but what about all the others?
ha, the guy is a gonif end of story ask rav shmuel kaminetzky, even ask his father.
I am very close with eli brother he always says that his brother never wants publicity & from many mosdos he gives & gave very generously to big point if he is scaming people the fbi & irs would be involved not just some shmendrik tring to sue him it is not the first time someone tried this on him meet the man he is a great guy
Well, in My humble Oppinion, this Article is the best thing to happen to K4K, they can now retain a lawyer, and own a Non-for-profit Newspaper.
Also, Ronald Coleman (post #3) the sceond paragraph in the article says:”At issue are millions in payments to Kars4Kids and more than 60 other registered charities”
is that not real implications that K4K is involved?
I know Eli for over 5 years. He is true to his word and a real mentch.
Beware of the Wire. It’s located in his glasses
He is ohev sholom and a rodef
shalom. He is also a big baal tzedakah.
It is now time for us to give him chizuk and show him some trust and Hakoras Hatov for his donations to so many Yeshivos.
He is still excepting investers and fully understands todays market. If only I had the funds I would call him to show him how much I care!
All the best.
Eli W. , i know eli for years , he allways get hurt cuz of his good heart , and that he help people . when it comes to real estate deal people have to know the down side of it . when the market went down , his investors tried to accuse him of steeling. WAKE UP mr investors , it is the market that crushed you , not Eli W.
Eli has a good heart , he is Not a Ganav. when the market was good and they all Made Tons of money with him , they all went to kiss him and to developed realationship with him .
Guys : take your loss to yourselfs.
bracha vehotlocha
Mr. Weinstein is charitable and honorable person with a heart of gold. When people make tons of money with him they’re very happy. Now when things are down they want to bad mouth him. Very wrong. I worked for him as a bookkeeper and am very well aware of the tens of millions these guys made