Former Fugees member Wyclef Jean is denying he ever personally profited from his Haiti Yele Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to humanitarian projects in his home country. The Yele Foundation has raised over $2 million in new funding since the devastating 7.0 earthquake in Haiti last week. The earthquake struck near the capital of Port-au-Prince and is estimated to have killed tens of thousands.

Wyclef Jean performing at the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, New York, United States for UNAIDS. (Photo: Ali Dan-Bouzoua, source: Wikimedia Commons)

TheSmokingGun.com published documents on Jan. 14 claiming Wyclef Jean had personally profited from the Yele Foundation charity over the years. The website claims Jean and a former business partner were paid nearly a half million for “rent, production services, and Jean’s appearance at a benefit concert” from the foundation’s funds.

Wyclef Jean angrily denied the accusations he had taken large sums of money from the charity. “I have been committed to helping the people of Haiti throughout my life, and that commitment will continue until the day I die,” Jean posted on his website in a video message. “I denounce any allegation that I have ever profited personally through my work with Yele Haiti. These baseless attacks are simply not true.”

“I have never and would never take money for my personal pocket when it comes to Yele,” Jean said. “I myself have put a million dollars inside my own foundation. Not only do I denounce that, I am disgusted by that.”

We understand any charitable organization has operating costs. But if Wyclef Jean really did make his own foundation pay him to appear at a charity benefit concert – well, that’s just disgusting. For now, we reserve judgment, but recommend anyone wanting to donate to helping survivors of the Haiti earthquake think carefully about whose hands they put their money into.

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