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3d ago

Minnesota Attorney General Sues We Push for Peace Leaders Over Alleged $6.5 Million Diversion

The case spotlights how post-2020 violence-interruption dollars can be vulnerable without tight oversight.

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows The organization was driven into the ground by "rampant abuse" and blatant self-dealing, prosecutors allege, Image 2 shows Pollard boasted about golfing with some "good buddies" during a Vegas trip in 2022, Image 3 shows Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison listening intently during a hearing
A man shouts slogans against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while protesting outside the state office of US Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, following last week fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 26, 2026. On January 24, federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with him on an icy roadway in Minneapolis, less than three weeks after an immigration officer fired on Renee Good, also 37, killing her in her car. US President Donald Trump blamed their deaths on Democratic "chaos," as his administration faced intensifying pressure over its mass immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The Minnesota attorney general filed a civil lawsuit Friday against We Push for Peace and former leaders Trahern Pollard and Jaclyn McGuigan, alleging they diverted roughly $6.5 million in charitable and public funds.
  • Prosecutors say Pollard took more than $6 million for personal use, including Las Vegas trips, luxury cars, child support, an IRS tax bill, and subsidies for a liquor store and a used-car lot.
  • McGuigan, the former treasurer, is accused of moving $1,000 each week from the nonprofit into her account and tapping grant money labeled as administrative costs, with reports estimating about $500,000 and noting amounts remain uncertain.
  • Investigators allege Pollard submitted false statements under penalty of perjury by calling a child support payment nonprofit overhead and describing a $35,000 payout to friends as Chicago payroll.
  • The complaint says Pollard formed a for-profit called Change Makers to reroute contracts, which left the nonprofit unable to meet city requests, including help sought during Operation Metro Surge.