OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed two lawsuits on Thursday as part of a nationwide sweep targeting charities claiming to benefit veterans.
Ferguson filed two lawsuits: one against Spanaway-based Fallen Hero Bracelets and a second against Florida nonprofit Healing Heroes Network.
Both are part of a coordinated effort by the Federal Trade Commission and National Association of State Charities Officials.
Ferguson alleges that Fallen Hero Bracelets and its director, Michael Friedmann, misled customers into believing their purchases were benefiting veterans associations. The group did not provide any funds to those organizations, Ferguson said.
“These organizations used the promise of improving veterans’ lives to mislead donors,” Ferguson said. “Their illegal actions are not only disrespectful to donors, but also to the veterans they claim to help.”
The attorney general's office gave this account of the nonprofit:
The FTC says to look for three things to make sure a charity is legitimate: