All Things Considered’s Tom Crann interviews Rick Linsk, reporter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, about Vang Pao Foundation. The non-profit foundation named for General Vang Pao, a leader in the Hmong community, faces a law suit from the office of State Attorney General Mike Hatch. The suit alleges that the Vang Pao Foundation engaged in questionable spending, and bypassed state charity laws.
The foundation was started in 2000' by a son and nephews of the the general. Among its stated goals at the time were to "preserve Hmong identity and culture...and develop the next generation of Hmong leadership." Linsk says General Vang Pao himself probably has little to do with the day-to-day operation of the foundation.