The gift who keeps on giving to the New York Yankees is in headlines again. Injured third baseman and multiple times, accused PED abuser, Alex Rodriguez, is now being accused of profiting just under 99% of “non-profit” earnings from charity.
According to the Boston Globe, the A-Rod Family Foundation, started by Rodriguez, hosted a celebrity poker event in an effort to raise money for the foundation. Rodriguez teamed with rapper, Jay Z, a friend and host of the tournament around 2006. Of the $403,862 dollars raised, only $5,090 went towards charitable donations. There was a $5,000 dollar check given to Jay Z’s Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund and a $90.00 check written to a Little League team in Miami according to IRS records.
The event was allegedly held after allegations Rodriguez was discovered as part of an underground poker ring and the image conscious athlete wanted to try to draw “positive” press. After 2006, the A-Rod Family Foundation stopped reporting mandatory financial reports the IRS, and was stripped of its tax-exempt status after only one year of operation.
Other athletes such as Josh Beckett and Anquan Boldin may come under fire soon a well, being reported in the same list of 50 non-profit athlete charities the Globe uncovered during a sweep for “efficiency”.
Rodriguez was also under fire for a second accusation of using performance enhancing drugs and is expected to miss most of the season due to injury. Upon his return, it’s foggy at best predicting his long-term future with the Yankees. Rodriguez is still owed $114 million dollars, making him the 18th highest paid athlete in the world.
