COSTA MESA : City May Revoke Solicitation Permit

The City Council tonight will consider revoking the solicitation permit held by American National Veterans Inc. because the company has failed to disclose financial statements on donations raised in the city.

The Colton-based nonprofit company says it pulls homeless and disabled veterans off the streets and puts them to work soliciting donations for the group. American National has been under fire in recent months from government officials who have revoked its permits in Los Angeles, La Verne, Pasadena and Azusa, citing complaints that its workers verbally harassed supermarket customers and appeared drunk in public, and that the company used the money for questionable purposes.

Attorney Paul F. Sollami, who represents the company, said Friday that he had not been told of the impending action and that a financial report had been sent to the city in response to its request.

The document, however, does not outline specific donations received in the city, Sollami said.

In Costa Mesa, Fedco complained that its customers were being harassed by the solicitors, who refused to leave the premises when asked, according to a memo by Sandra M. Benson, senior code enforcement officer.

The city sent a letter to American National President Mark Sporn in March asking for financial statements showing the amount of contributions collected in the city, direct expenses of the solicitation and a detailed listing of how the contributions have been or will be distributed.

Sporn had 30 days to submit the information. On March 28, Sollami wrote city officials promising to provide the information after an audit of the group by the Attorney General’s office is completed.

According to Benson’s memo, the city has not received any information from the group.