The Daily Outrage: Open doors, open wallets

Published December 6, 2010 5:00am ET



WHO: North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County Health Department. WHAT: Since 2005 distributed more than $19 million in federal and state money to Mecklenburg Open Door, a publicly funded mental health care organization.

WHY IT’S AN OUTRAGE: Mecklenburg Open Door misappropriated social security benefits of its mentally ill clients and used them for operation expenses. The organization also failed to pay payroll taxes amounting to $53,000, while Open Door’s former executive director embezzled more than $200,000.

WHERE TO VENT: Call Mecklenburg Health Department at 704-336-4700.