For Immediate Release
Contact: Eddie Kurtz
[email protected]
Republican Alek Skarlatos, a current candidate for Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, is under fire once again as the veterans “charity” he founded faces a new legal complaint. According to publicly available documents, the 15:17 Trust, a supposed veterans “charity” founded by Skarlatos in 2020, has not registered with the state of Oregon, as is required by law. Oregon State Rep. Marty Wilde (D-Eugene), a veteran currently active in the Oregon National Guard who lives in the 4th Congressional District, filed the complaint with the Oregon Department of Justice.
This is only the latest example of alleged illegal activity by Skarlatos and the charity, which was founded after Skarlatos lost his previous bid for the 4th Congressional District in 2020. On October 2, 2021, the Associated Press reported that Skarlatos’ charity, 15:17 Trust, made what appears to be a prohibited payment of $65,000 to Mr. Skarlatos’ 2022 campaign.
When he founded the nonprofit organization, Skarlatos claimed that 15:17 Trust would advocate for veterans “left high and dry” by the country “they put their lives on the line for.” More than a year later, 15:17 Trust “has shown few outward signs of activity.” It appears to have no website and its meager social media presence appears to have stopped 10 months ago. There is zero public evidence that the organization has taken a single meaningful action to support veterans.
“Too often, grifters try to use a veterans non-profit as a way of furthering their own agendas while not actually providing services to veterans. The failure to register as a charity is a huge red flag. I look forward to hearing more from the Oregon Department of Justice when their investigation is complete,” said Rep. Wilde, who recently returned from duty with the Oregon National Guard in support of COVID-19 relief.
Last June, the Eugene Weekly detailed Skarlatos’ extremist views, including his unwillingness to say that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, and his refusal to condemn the January 6 Insurrection.
###
