(LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic Charities branch in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is suing a former accounting manager for pocketing millions in the organization’s funds.
In the May 9 lawsuit, Catholic Charities claims that former accounting manager Brandi Ellis stole millions in donations by creating fraudulent invoices and using company credit cards that allegedly went unnoticed for years. The organization has come under intense scrutiny for its handling of finances, especially over its alleged use of government funding to aid illegal immigration.
“(Ellis stole funds by) paying false invoices ostensibly reflecting work and/or services completed or provided by vendors for the plaintiff. These invoices were not, in fact, for any work completed for and/or services provided to the plaintiff,” the lawsuit read. “Rather, the payments made pursuant to the false invoices were to vendors with personal or professional connections to the defendant Brandi Ellis. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of the plaintiff’s funds were stolen under this scheme.”
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The suit also alleged that Ellis used company credit cards to make hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of personal purchases.
The organization is also suing Baker Tilly, an international consulting, tax, and accounting company that was tasked with auditing company transactions, claiming that it was negligent in not noticing Ellis’ alleged theft.
“Baker Tilly failed to recognize clearly fraudulent purchasing activity as these purchases were made on the plaintiff’s corporate credit cards,” the lawsuit stated.
Some of the purchases Ellis allegedly made were Uber rides, Amazon Prime video rentals, and casino purchases at MGM Grand, per the lawsuit.
Catholic Charities has been sharply criticized, including by Catholics, for its misuse of government funds to support illegal immigrants. The organization manages the day-to-day care for many unaccompanied alien children (UACs) and, along with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Charities has received a whopping $449 million from the U.S. government to shelter and transport unaccompanied immigrant children over the years.
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Catholic Charities has also been scrutinized for placing these children with unvetted sponsors, even after reports emerged that some of these children ended up in forced labor, sex trafficking, or other forms of abuse.
It is also well known that the organization assists foreign nationals who have broken U.S. immigration laws. For example, one Catholic Charities YouTube video shows Barbara Graham, program director and immigration attorney for Catholic Charities, advising people of their rights when approached by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
EXPOSED: Catholic Charities Coaching Illegals on How to Evade Immigration Authorities!
Watch this shocking video where Catholic Charities openly instructs illegals on how to dodge ICE, avoid answering questions, and game the system.
These tactics aren’t about “rights”—they’re… pic.twitter.com/hfgJXfwsv2
— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) January 27, 2025
Scrutiny of Catholic Charities’ use of funds has intensified since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, as the president began to cut off their government funding. Just days after his inauguration, Trump signed the executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” that stipulated the removal of foreign nationals in violation of immigration laws and the review of funds to NGOs, including Catholic Charities and the USCCB, that support or provide services to illegal aliens.
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Shortly after signing that order, the Trump administration issued a major blow to both organizations by placing a 90-day freeze on foreign aid dispersed through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides significant funding along with other NGOs backing abortion and the “LGBTQ” agenda. In April, the USCCB responded to the funding cuts by ending its contract with the U.S. government.
