The biggest pet project earmarked for funds diverted from public parks in Prince George’s County’s disputed budget has no traceable public financial records in Maryland, records show.
Council Chair Krystal Oriadha set aside $4.3 million for Community on the Frontline for fiscal 2027, which began July 1.
A review of public records by The Washington Times failed to locate any published board, officers or audited financial records for Community on the Frontline. The organization does not appear as an independent charity in IRS records, ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer or the Maryland secretary of state’s database.
Community on the Frontline’s website describes it as a project of the Edward Charles Foundation rather than a standalone organization. The website, registered in June 2024, says it was founded in 2020.
The California-based foundation bills itself as an independently audited “501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor umbrella for over 100 charitable initiatives” nationwide.
However, no entity called “Community on the Frontline” appears on the foundation’s website or as a separate line item in its Form 990 tax filings, which disclose tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue.
That means public tax dollars allocated to Community on the Frontline become absorbed by the foundation and aren’t publicly traceable.
The foundation and Community on the Frontline did not respond by deadline to emails and phone calls seeking comment.
Tre’von Sawyers, Ms. Oriadha’s chief of staff, defended Community on the Frontline as “an active charitable initiative serving residents throughout Prince George’s County.”
He noted that it “provides direct services” such as free groceries, childcare and senior programs to county families.
“Every expenditure is processed through established accounting controls and compliance procedures,” Mr. Sawyers said in an emailed statement.
“In many respects, fiscal sponsorship provides an additional layer of financial accountability because an experienced charitable organization is responsible for administering funds, maintaining records and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and grant requirements,” he added.
A state circuit court has temporarily blocked the County Council from spending more than $39 million in reserved property tax revenue for the parks on 64 charitable projects to fill a budget hole while a lawsuit unfolds.
Other recipients of the redirected parks funds would include local Boys and Girls Club chapters, College Park senior programs, nutritious food programs, county recreation programs and the Bowie Gymnasium athletic complex.
Ms. Oriadha joined the Democrat-controlled council in December 2022 and was unanimously elected chair late last year.
Her office provided paperwork from the Maryland secretary of state’s office confirming that the Edward Charles Foundation is a registered charity in the state.
“While this process remains ongoing and all the numbers are being reviewed, there will be no additional comments from the County Executive’s Office,” said Brian Fischer, chief communications officer for County Executive Aisha Braveboy, a Democrat also implicated in the lawsuit.
Some conservative Maryland lawmakers described the project’s lack of public financials as a red flag.
“This highlights why local governments should maintain strong financial controls, clear documentation requirements and transparent reporting whenever public money is awarded to outside organizations,” said Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano, a Republican.
Maryland state Delegate LaToya Nkongolo, a Republican representing part of neighboring Anne Arundel County, said Prince George’s has led a statewide trend of spending tax dollars “without providing the public with clear information about who is receiving the funds, what outcomes are being achieved, or whether taxpayers are getting a return on their investment.”
Ms. Nkongolo, an analyst at the conservative National Center for Public Policy Research’s Project 21, added, “Maryland taxpayers deserve confidence that every tax dollar is being spent responsibly and in the public interest.”
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which oversees recreational programs in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, accused Ms. Braveboy and the council in a June 9 lawsuit of illegally plundering its coffers.
The Maryland General Assembly created the commission in 1927 as a bi-county agency to manage suburban growth around the nation’s capital. It had a $918.9 million budget in fiscal 2026, down $15 million from the previous year.
“The commission respectfully declines to comment due to the pending nature of the lawsuit that seeks to address these issues,” a spokesperson said in an email, referring to Community on the Frontline.
Judge Krystal Alves, whom former Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley appointed to the circuit court, granted the commission’s request for a preliminary injunction on June 26.
She has pledged to address the lawsuit’s claim that raiding the park funds violated state law in an expedited hearing scheduled for Sept. 21-22.
“The commission stands ready to work collaboratively with the county to develop a lawful framework for project charges that honors the intent of the Land Use Article and continues to serve the residents of Prince George’s County,” the parks commission said on June 26.
Revenue crisis
Prince George’s County revenue projections took several major hits in the past year — including federal job losses, the closure of Six Flags amusement park in Largo, the planned relocation of the Washington Commanders from Landover to the District, and the Trump administration’s scrapping of a new FBI headquarters in Greenbelt.
The county warned in a May 28 statement that Ms. Braveboy and Ms. Oriadha inherited “a nearly $155 million structural deficit” from previous leaders.
Finalized June 9, the county’s $6 billion budget cut the parks commission’s operating budget by $20 million, its capital budget by $8 million and its Largo headquarters construction and maintenance budget by $33 million.
The commission estimates that the cuts would trigger a 40% reduction to its help desk and permit services budget and “a potential hiring freeze.”
Ms. Braveboy has countered by accusing the parks commission of demanding a 57.8% funding increase for its chairman’s office, including boosting his salary to more than $300,000 a year.
A spokesperson for the county executive said in a statement last month that the budget “reflects feedback from county residents about the programs they need to improve their lives.”
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