Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti charity has raised millions of dollars since the earthquake in the singer's home country, but numerous allegations have arisen about how the money has been spent and how the charity has been run.
Now the Smoking Gun reports Yele paid $105,000 to Zakiya Khatou-Chevassus in 2008. The kicker: multiple anonymous sources confirm to Gawker that Khatou-Chevassus was Jean's mistress.
So what did she do for that money? Khatou-Chevassus is currently listed on Yele's web site as the organization's vice president. But according to five sources familiar with Yele's operations, in 2008 she served as Jean's personal assistant--working on his commercial endeavors as well as his charitable ones--and was involved romantically with the former Fugees star.
That $105,000 represents about one-third of all management and general expenses Yele paid out in 2008.
A Gawker source also says that's about three times what Suzie Sylvain, the program director, earned even though she's credited with keeping Yele running and planning the charitable efforts.
The latest allegations only add to Yele's shady past.
From New Times staff writer Frank Alvarado's post in January:
Yesterday, the Smoking Gun posted Yele's tax returns for 2005, 2006, and 2007, which show the foundation paid $31,200 in rent to a recording studio owned by Jean and a Yele board member, who together "own a controlling interest" in a company that was paid $250,000 by the foundation for "pre-purchased... TV airtime and production services." In 2006, Yele paid it's founder $100,000, which the tax return stated was below market value, for a musical performance at a benefit concert.
