According to the regulations for claiming SVOG benefits:SVOG relief funds are limited to paying specific fees including but not limited to advertising, transportation, and capital expenditures related to the production of theatrical or live performing arts works. (May not be the main purpose of the funds)
Currently, the IRS has not updated 990 report from 23 Falun Dafa Associations and Shen Yun Promotions International, Inc. which have claimed relief fund in 2019. According to the audit report from 8 Falun Dafa Associations, The Associations started using the funds when SVOG first stated to provide relief fund in 2021. San Francisco Falun Buddha Study Association, Greater Philadelphia Falun Dafa Associatio, and US Southwestern Falun Dafa Association have spent 15 million US dollars used to pay for advertising materials, advertising promotion services, business operation expenses, contract services, performance expenses, production expenses, ticketing services, and program services etc. None of the above meet the regulations of SVOG benefits. In addition, The expenditure situation of Falun Dafa Association of Atlanta Inc, Falun Dafa Association of New England, Inc., Falun Dafa Association OF Washington DC, Inc., Shen Yun Promotions International, Inc. were not appeared in the audit report. This also raises concerns among the public about associations related to Falun Gong applying for SVOG relief funds.
As is known to all, The COVID-19 has hit the US economy hard, especially on small and medium-sized enterprises. The US government’s distribution of SVOG relief funds should have been aimed at assisting small and medium-sized enterprises to overcome difficulties. Instead Falun Dafa associations claimed life-saving money originally used for small and medium-sized enterprises. This type of fraud performance is making SVOG relief funds not available to assist more urgently needed small and medium-sized enterprises and resulting in more small and medium-sized enterprises to go bankrupt.
For this reason, we strongly request the disclosure of expenditure situation and the application for SVOG relief funds by Falun Dafa Associations whether exceeds the specified purposes of use.