SC Pro-bono Organization Accused of Fraud and Mismanagement. Saturday January 03, 2004 6:53am    Posted By: Jonathan Schaper What Is Your New Year's Resolution?  Lose Weight  Get New Job  Be Nicer  Stop Procrastinating  I Don't Have a Resoultion ___  ABC News 4 Interact  ___    • Signup for eNews Alerts    • ABC News 4 Pulse Poll    • Whats Your Opinion?    • Printable Version    • E-Mail This Story ___  Related Stories  ___ SC Colleges Find Ways to Give Widespread Pay Increases Protecting SC's Military Facilities From Next Year's Round of Closings USC Is in Perfect Position for AP Title Air Force Cadets on Edge After Scandal Accused TSA Official Disputes Police Version (Columbia-AP) - An organization that provides free legal help to the poor for things like child support orders and landlord and tenet disputes has been accused of billing fraud and mismanagement. The South Carolina Centers for Equal Justice has been put on month-to-month funding by the national nonprofit organization that provides about half of its eight-point-five million dollar budget. But officials of the Greenville-based program say they should be able to keep all of their centers across the state open. The program was formed two years ago when three legal service agencies merged. After investigating the program, Legal Services Corporation issued a 64-page report and brought the state Centers for Equal Justice leaders to Washington to discuss the problems. The report said employees charged for hours they didn't work; money for private attorneys was spent reducing the program's deficit; and, employees have complained about hostile managers in the program. South Carolina Centers for Equal Justice officials dispute many of the 23 allegations in the report. Copyright 2004 WCIV, LLC. and by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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