Gandhi Memorial International Foundation, also known as the Mahatma Gandhi International Foundation, was a controversial

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

run by Yogesh K. Gandhi, born Yogesh Kathari,"Investigation of Illegal or Improper Activities in Connection with 1996 Federal Election Campaigns",

105th Congress The 105th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1997, ...

, 2nd Session,

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

Report 105-167 Part 5, 105 S. Rpt. 167; Prt. 5, March 10, 1998
hosted at www.senate.gov
See also:
The Contribution of Yogesh Gandhi
who claims to be related to

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

. However, an immediate descendant of Mahatma Gandhi, publicly stated that Yogesh K. Gandhi was a "scam artist", and "interested primarily in enriching himself." Yogesh Gandhi described the organization as dedicated to "social betterment through nonviolence." The organization gave out the "Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award". The organization's business dealings were investigated by the

, in March 1998. '' Mother Jones'' referred to the organization as: "a shadowy non-profit enterprise devoted in principle to 'promoting the philosophy of non-violence'." On March 8, 1999, Yogesh Gandhi was charged by the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

with " tax evasion,

mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...

and wire fraud and perjury" for dealings related to the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation.Yogesh Gandhi Charged with Tax Evasion, Mail and Wire Fraud and Perjury
Press Release,

, March 8, 1999 He had previously been indicted by the Justice Department's Campaign Financing Task Force in August 1998. In 1999, Yogesh Gandhi entered a guilty plea to the charges of mail fraud, tax evasion and violating federal election law over his contributions involving the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation and the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well ...

in 1996. The Foundation was reported to have ceased its activities in 1999.

Gives out "awards"

Yogesh Gandhi was charged with mail fraud by the United States Department of Justice. Prior to the charges, Gandhi had presented

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

with the "Gandhi Peace Award" accompanied by a bust of

Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, and had his picture taken with the president. In 1987, Gandhi gave an award to Ryochi Sasakawa, an individual the

investigation referred to as "a controversial, wealthy Japanese businessman who was jailed by the Americans after World War II for suspected war crimes and has been accused of links to organized crime and extreme rightists." A year after Sasakawa received the Gandhi award from Yogesh Gandhi, Sasakawa donated $500,000 to the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation. In 1988 the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation gave Werner Erhard,

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

, Shirley Temple Black, and David Packard its "Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award".Statue of Gandhi Dedicated in S.F., San Francisco Chronicle, October 4, 1988 This award was also given in 1995 to Hogen Fukunaga, an individual that a

investigation described as "a Japanese multimillionaire who runs a controversial religious organization in Japan and faces multiple legal problems in Japan from people claiming to have been defrauded by his organization." According to ''

SF Weekly ''SF Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper founded in the 1970s in San Francisco, California. It was distributed every Thursday, and was published by the San Francisco Print Media Company. The paper has won national journalism awards, ...

'': "Tanaka, a Japanese health-food magnate, would channel money Fukunaga had raised through his huge Japanese cult following to Yogesh Gandhi, who would use his phony Gandhi Memorial Foundation to bribe world leaders, who would then help elevate Fukunaga's stature."

DNC returns donation

CNN reported that Yogesh Gandhi used funds solicited for his Gandhi Memorial International Foundation, in order to pay off his own personal debts. In 1996, the

had to give back $325,000 to Yogesh Gandhi, because they could not verify that he was the source of the donations. Gandhi refused to supply proof of the money's origins, and maintained that it had come from his own personal sources. The contribution had been the single largest received by the Democratic Party in 1996. An investigation by the

determined that these funds initially came from a Japanese national. The donation had originally been solicited from Yogesh Gandhi by Democratic Party fund-raiser Charles Yah Lin Trie.

Forged accounts

Donald Shimer was a past executive director for the organization from 1987 to 1992. Shimer resigned when he was denied credit while attempting to use his personal

American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...

credit card, in May 1996. Shimer later learned that corporate accounts had been opened in his name in 1995 by Yogesh Gandhi, who Shimer believes had forged his signature. Yogesh Gandhi testified that he was not a United States citizen, had no financial assets in the country, and was living off his brother's credit. ''Mother Jones'' reported that the foundation "hadn't filed the required tax returns for years."

Defunct

In 1999, the Foundation was reported to have ceased its activities.

References

External links

{{wikisource, 1997 Special Investigation in Connection with 1996 Federal Election Campaigns/Section 11
Yogesh Gandhi Charged with Tax Evasion, Mail and Wire Fraud and Perjury

The Contribution of Yogesh Gandhi

Non-profit organizations based in California American fraudsters Scandals in the United States Gandhians