Attorney General Sues Nonprofits Following Deceptive Conduct of Their Director

(KNSI) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against David Singleton, five Minnesota nonprofits under his control, and his for-profit legal consulting business.

The five nonprofits named in the suit are the Minnesota Civilian Public Safety Commission Inc., League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions, DWI Prevention Services Inc., Minnesota Police Reserve Officers Association (MPROA), and United Criminal Justice Reform Commission. The AG says they have no official government affiliations despite their names suggesting otherwise.

The lawsuit alleges that Singleton has engaged in a deceptive scheme by founding or taking over nonprofits with government sounding names to mislead the public for personal gain and falsely presented himself as qualified to provide legal services. According to Ellison, Singleton used his nonprofit organizations to funnel clients to his for-profit legal services business despite not holding a law license in Minnesota or any other state.

According to the court papers filed in Ramsey County, Singleton engaged in Minnesota Nonprofit Corporation Act violations, including failure to fulfill nonprofit purposes, lack of a board of directors, absence of annual meetings, failure to maintain financial records, and breaches of fiduciary duties.

He is also accused of deceptive solicitation of donations by using misleading names, language, and imagery to create the false impression of government affiliation.

The lawsuit alleges violations of the Consumer Fraud Act, Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and unauthorized practice of law, including misleading Minnesota residents into believing his for-profit entity could provide legal services despite Singleton not being a licensed attorney.

“It is appalling that the defendant founded and used nonprofits not to help Minnesotans, but to defraud them and leave chaos and confusion in his wake,” said Attorney General Ellison. “My office launched this investigation and filed this lawsuit because we will not allow nonprofits to be misused to deceive and cheat Minnesotans. I appreciate the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, the Nicollet County Attorney’s Office, and the Minnesotans who filed complaints, which were instrumental in identifying and addressing this misconduct.”

According to a press release, the Attorney General’s Office enforces Minnesota’s nonprofit and charitable solicitation laws and consumer protection statutes through its Charities Division. While the division does not handle criminal prosecution, state law mandates that nonprofit leaders uphold fiduciary duties to act in their organization’s best interests, avoiding conflicts that serve personal financial gain.

The lawsuit aims to end Singleton’s “longstanding fraudulent and deceptive practices.”
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