Prince William may revoke COVID aid for immigrant advocacy group after audit

Editor's note: The CASA referenced in this article is different from CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), which works with children in the court system.

Clarification: This story has been edited to reflect that the organization never received any money for the items in question. Its requests to be reimbursed by the county for expenditures already made were denied.   

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday will consider revoking more than $1 million in pandemic aid from immigrant advocacy group CASA after a county audit found the organization spent nearly $200,000 on items that didn't qualify for federal funding.

CASA, a national nonprofit with a location in Woodbridge that supports immigrant families, was to have received from the board $2 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to be used to reimburse costs only for building a “training lab” and supporting “programming start-up costs” at its Prince William County welcome center, according to county documents.

A county audit obtained by InsideNoVa alleges the organization between July 2022 and June 2023 spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on other expenditures such as marketing materials and tabling supplies and a personal development English Second Language course for an employee.

The group also spent thousands of dollars on marketing items such as lip balm, hand sanitizer, drawstring bags, hoodies, lanyards, thermometers, sunscreen, pill boxes and “fidget fun blocks,” county documents show.

All were deemed not in alignment with the parameters of allowable expenditures outlined in an agreement CASA signed with the county. CASA spent the money upfront and requested reimbursement, which was denied. 

The audit also showed the organization spent more than $25,000 on administrative and utility costs at locations other than the one in Woodbridge. CASA made dozens of other non-compliant expenditures that ranged in price from a few hundred dollars to $14,000. 

Gustavo Torres, CASA's executive director, responded to the accusations in a statement to InsideNoVa.

"CASA undergoes an independent audit of its organizational finances annually and has undergone a federal A-133 single audit annually since 2014," Torres stated in an email. "Its audits have always reported responsible financial management, and its financial statements are free from internal control deficiencies." 

Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Deshundra Jefferson, a Democrat, declined to comment because she received word on Friday evening that CASA’s legal counsel was considering taking action against the board. Republican Brentsville Supervisor Tom Gordy declined to comment for the same reason.

The board will vote next week to redirect CASA’s remaining money to other organizations and initiatives in need of additional funding. Those causes include the Northern Virginia Food Rescue for food distribution and related administrative costs; the county’s community safety initiative, which is developing community violence prevention and intervention plans; and renovation of the county Judicial Center. 

It’s unclear whether the board will have the support necessary to reallocate the funding.