Jonathan Pelto’s second day story about Ken Moales and why he should resign from the Board of Education.
After reviewing the facts, it is clearly time for a truly independent investigation into the Moales daycare center operation …
Here are the facts;We know that Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. is Governor Malloy’s loudest supporter in Bridgeport.
We know that Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. is Mayor Bill Finch’s campaign treasurer.
We know that Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. played a pivotal role in the illegal state takeover of the Bridgeport School System.
We know that as a member of both the illegal and democratically elected Bridgeport Board of Education, Reverend Kenneth Moales, Jr. was one of Paul Vallas’ most influential backers and a leading advocate for the expansion of charter schools in Bridgeport.
And we know that Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. was instrumental in working with Malloy’s Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor, and Capital Prep Principal Steve Perry to orchestrate the State Board of Education’s inappropriate approval for a new charter school in Bridgeport that will be owned by Steve Perry’s private company. According to Perry’s charter school proposal, Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. will sit on the Board of Directors for the new charter school.
But after those key facts, things get very murky.
Reverend Kenneth Moales, Jr. is facing an extremely serious foreclosure suit that seeks to take his church and all the church’s property including Moales’ house, cars and belongs.
Moales’ church also rents space to a series of daycare centers that, according to the Internal Revenue Service, is called Kingdom’s Little Ones in Christ, Inc.
From 2008-2012, the company collected over $2.3 million in taxpayer funds and that was before the company received an influx of cash from the Malloy administration’s expanded early childhood program and before the company was caught over billing by at least $75,000.
According to the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s records, Kingdom’s Little Ones in Christ, Inc. is actually registered as PRAYER TABERNACLE KINGDOM’S LITTLE ONES IN CHRIST, INC.
The records recorded with the Secretary of the State indicate the company is owed by Bishop Kenneth Moales Sr. (now deceased) and Peggy Moales (his wife). The company was created in 1999, but has not filed any of its annual reports since 2004.
On the other hand, the Connecticut’s Department of Public Health has given daycare center licenses to Kingdom’s Little Ones (1243 Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport) and Kingdom’s Little One Academy (1277 Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport). Both properties are owned by Kenneth Moales’ church.
One of the centers is run by Kenneth Moales Jr’s mother, Peggy Moales while the other is run by his sister, Kenya-Moales-Byrd.
As part of Governor Malloy’s early childhood initiative, the Moales family “won” a contract to provide 60 of the 72 new early childhood slots in Bridgeport. The contract appears to have gone to the Kingdom’s Little One Academy but the problem is the daycare centers were not licensed to handle the influx of children.
Although the contract provided that centers must be up and running by November 2012, the Moales family did not get a license for a daycare center to serve those slots until August 15, 2013–at least ten months after the required date.
The New License, which carries the number 70117, was issued on 8/15/2013. However, the building, located at 729 Union Avenue in Bridgeport (another property owned by Moales’ church) may still not have a permanent certificate of occupancy, a criteria that must be met before a provider can open a daycare center.
According to emails and memos acquired from a variety of state entities, professional staff at the Connecticut State Department of education were well aware of the problems associated with the Moales’ daycare centers and were diligently trying to get the unused slots moved to a daycare enter that could provide Bridgeport’s children and parents with the daycare services they were entitled to.
Following information provided by the professional staff at the State Department of Education, the Bridgeport School Readiness Council voted on February 19, 2013 to move unused spaces from the Moales daycare center to a center called Cheyenne’s Daycare.
On February 26, the state determined that the Moales’ center could keep 42 slots and 18 others would go to Cheyenne’s Daycare.
But by summertime it became increasingly clear that something was seriously wrong with the Moales daycare operation and that they had never acquired the license needed to utilize those additional 42 slots.
An email from to Kenneth Moales’ sister on August 1, 2013 from the State Department of Education reads,
“There are 42 children that were to attend Union St [the new Moales center] but the site did not open and I have no confirmed indication of a date when it will open. These spots were claimed on Peggy’s [Moales] site but we know there not served at that site. [Peggy’s license only allowed 15 total students]. So, again, since Peggy is claiming 57 students on her monthly report, I assume you are serving them at your site. But, you only have 19 approved School Readiness spaces at your site.
[…]
… Each month you are being paid for 76 spaces but at this point you are only approved for 15 at Peggy’s site and 19 at your site.By September 2013, the State Department of Education’s office of Internal Audit issued the following finding,
“We reviewed documentation supplied by the Office of Early childhood’s Program Manager in connection with school readiness funded programs at Kingdom’s Little Ones Daycare facilities located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We believe that the program was overpaid by approximately $75,114 (27 children x 4 months x $695). We recommend that the Office of Early childhood work with SDE’s Bureau of Fiscal Services to pursue a refund from Bridgeport.
The State Department of Education then issued a refund request writing that said,
The refund request should go to the Bridgeport Public Schools and indicate that it is applicable to Kingdom’s Little Ones. The Bridgeport Schools will do two things; 1) refund the funds to SDE and 2) work out the details with the Program(s) to recover their funds–likely some kind of monthly recovery, spreading the pain.
But then, in a surprising and suspicious twist, on October 1, 2013, Paul Vallas stepped in to try and stop the state from recouping the money it was owed by filing an appeal.
The appeal was eventually rejected and the state is now working to collect the taxpayer funds it is owed.
When the story is laid out, perhaps the most telling point of all is that Kenneth Moales Jr. was the Chairman of the Bridgeport Board of Education at the time these events unfolded and the Board of Education was apparently never informed that their Chairman’s company had overbilled the City and state by $75,000. Furthermore, the Board of Education was never told that Vallas, on behalf of the Board of Education, was attempting to stop the state from collecting the misspent funds.
Paul Vallas is now long gone, but the rest of the players are still very much on the scene.
The interrelationships between Moales, Finch, Pryor and Malloy run so deep and the allegations are so serious that a truly independent investigation is needed.
In the meantime, as noted above, Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. should relinquish his seat on the Bridgeport Board of Education.
I agree Mr. Pelto, Kenneth Moales must resign. This is getting more and more outrageous by the day.
This fraud perpetuated by Kenneth Moales, Peggy Moales and Kenya Byrd-Moales must be pursued with rigor.
There needs to be a thorough investigation by the Attorney General’s fraud division and these people must be prosecuted. There are hundreds of families in Bridgeport that need reliable daycare for their children, yet for over ten months they were denied access because they failed to open the third site on time, failed to notify the SDE and then actually billed for all 42 slots.
This is CRIMINAL and must be treated as such.
That is not true. ‘Based upon that review, it was determined that 27 children were ineligible for reimbursement. Those students were claimed in ERROR for four months.’ It isn’t BOE SPY who makes things up; after all, that honor belongs to you. Moales should resign. Leave the BOE to the CEA and the WFP. After they get done burning down the school system, we will not be able to pay enough to have someone come in and put the schools back together. Sorry Dave, but I have absolutely no faith in any of their ability to fix our education problems. The teachers were afraid Vallas would be hard on them, but he will be nothing compared to when they start feeding on each other just before the entire system goes down the drain.
BOE SPY, the daycares submit their grant applications to the CSDE and they approve which daycares are accepted and receive funding. Ms. Baraka was not the chair of the BBOE when his daycares were accepted into the Early Childhood School Readiness initiative and Moales was not on the BBOE. Ever since this grant has been in existence, the BBOE would vote on its approval every two years. Look at the BBOE minutes in May 2013 that are available on-line and begin reading on page 17. The School Readiness Grant was on the BBOE agenda and Moales was the chair. Sauda, Bobby and Maria informed Moales he had to recuse himself and turn over the chairmanship to Dr. Kelleher. He stated the grant was placed on the agenda in “error” and the BBOE could not vote on it. Looks like there was a lot of discussion on the issue. When Bobby, Sauda and Maria starting asking questions about the financial stability of Kingdom’s Little Ones, Tom Mulligan made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Dr. Kelleher, Hernan Illingworth, Leticia Colon, Tom Mulligan and Kenneth Moales voted to adjourn. Right in the middle of the discussion, the meeting was adjourned to protect Moales. Pretty outrageous!
The Pelto Stretch goes on. Vallas did not want the state to withhold future funds from the BOE. Like they are doing now. Then the BOE has to get its money back from Kingdom’s Little Ones. The problem is, that money is already gone. Kingdom’s Little Ones is a nonprofit with no assets and no income. You can’t go after Moales personally because Kingdom’s Little Ones is incorporated. Even trying to go after Kingdom’s Little Ones would cost more than you could expect to recover.
The incompetence and fraud that need to be investigated is how the BOE paid fees to a daycare when the kids were ineligible for reimbursement. Are there no checks and balances in the system? Are any of the other daycares charging for kids who are ineligible for reimbursement?
It seems the entire Moales clan is experiencing both professional and personal financial difficulties. They are clearly facing financial collapse. Kenya Moales-Byrd was successfully sued by Sacred Heart University and her home is being foreclosed on. Sacred Heart University and the State of Connecticut, Department of Revenue Services (Unpaid CT State Taxes) have liens against her home in the current foreclosure. Peggy Moales’ personal home is also being foreclosed on by The Community Bank/FDIC for an unpaid loan. It is clear as day this was not an “error.” They attempted to defraud the CSDE and the BBOE because all three of them are on the verge of losing their homes AND their livelihoods.
That could be, but proving ‘intent’ to defraud is difficult. Especially in this situation. The grant pays the cost of Little Ones incurred. The profit is the responsibility of Little Ones. As Little Ones is suffering financial difficulties it would appear the ‘profit’ is small, zero or some negative number. The idea of a fraud is to make your profit large. Like charging for an empty seat. Getting paid for work you never did. Little Ones did the work but the kids did not qualify for the program. The BBOE was responsible for this. It would appear the BBOE is trying to scapegoat Moales for their error.
I cut school lawns for the BBOE. I have a list of schools but I cut the lawn at the wrong school because I am an idiot. This might be the reason I am in foreclosure and about to lose my business and home. I fill out my forms with the school name and address and submit the bill with the school name and address and BBOE pays it. The problem comes to light and my brother-in-law is a principal at one of the schools. The BBOE constructs a fraud theory to hide their incompetence. The schools put out the bid (or not) but chose me over all the other landscapers in town. I did the work and submitted a bill. BBOE paid me in error. If the kids did not qualify, why did BBOE pay? That is the REAL question.
Here is something to investigate. Pelto got this letter but according to
civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/
the last and only time anyone named Jonathan Pelto filed for an FOI was in 06/29/2009 of the UNIVERSITY OF CONN v. FREEDOM OF INFO . COM. If this is correct how did Pelto get this letter? Or any of the information he comes across? Did he steal it or was it Wiki-leaked to him? Others also seem to have nicely prepared agreements in support of Pelto’s opinion. In an almost Jimmy Hoffa way. Not that I know any unions are involved but I do keep my identity secret for a reason. The same way some at BOE meetings seem to be prepared, even when public speaking was not announced, and called on to speak, while the general public has to take it as it comes. Does Pelto have unauthorized access to confidential work product from the BOE? Illegally obtained, confidential, personal information? Things that were not or may not have been cleared for release by an FOI? Things the BOE spoke about in private, during executive session, and Pelto releases them in his blog? This is something that should be investigated.
“Not that I know any unions are involved but I do keep my identity secret for a reason.”
Using your line of logic, reasoning and questioning, one reason you keep your identity secret could be because you are Kenneth Moales, another family member of his or one of his church members. I’m sure this matter was discussed in executive session, in secret or sidebar between Moales and Vallas sometime last year, others had knowledge of this and kept it quiet for good reasons. You should be on your knees praising the lord for people like Pelto. You, BOE SPY, like Moales, should by now have heard the truth must come to the light. I’m sure you’re just jealous Pelto has better spies than you’ll ever have.
The only true thing I have seen is Kingdom’s Little Ones submitted payment for 27 kids for four weeks in error. The BOE, who had fiduciary responsibility to administer these funds, paid the bill. The BOE paid for kids who did not qualify for the program without checking. Now, the state wants their money back because the BOE had fiduciary responsibility to check on these things. What I question is: how much of our money, which the BOE has fiduciary responsibility for, have they paid for ineligible services without knowing?
BOE SPY, Moales did not overcharge the BBOE and CSDE for 27 slots over four weeks, he did it for FOUR MONTHS!
I agree, Moales has probably been fleecing the BBOE and CSDE for years. That is exactly why the Attorney General’s fraud unit needs to come in and conduct a comprehensive audit for at least the two years Paul Vallas was here. I am confident there is more fraud to be uncovered.
BOE, is it possible Pelto could have called SDE and asked for these documents without filing an FOI request? The letter did come from a career staffer at the SDE, so politics may not have played a role.
Eric, there is also the possibility the leadership at the SDE allowed this information to be leaked. When someone becomes a liability, getting them out of the way is the best thing to do. A liability who has the potential to bring everything down like a house of cards due to their knowledge, possession of documents, and of information with facts is one too dangerous to leave around with a good reputation and in good standing. Destroy their reputation and good standing and they make for a future weak witness. Why not speed up the process? How will this news play out in Illinois as far as Vallas’ role in this matter goes?
No, he would have been directed to file an FOI. No single person would have the authority to release sensitive documents without permission of the board. If the BOE wanted to issue a press release, they wouldn’t go to Pelto. They would go to someone who is more balanced in their approach to reporting. This is obviously stolen work product. Besides having no idea what they are paying for, what other sensitive data walks out of the BOE? If someone could just decide to divulge this without oversight, how safe are social security numbers? Could Pelto get personal financial data? If you read past Pelto’s spin you will see Kingdom’s Little Ones submitted a bill for ineligible kids and the BOE paid. These kids were enrolled and registered in the program. The BOE had that data. The BOE did not even know. Why on earth would the BOE release that? Pelto spun the story but Kingdom’s Little Ones enrolled the kids and filled out the forms. The letter says ‘Based upon that review, it was determined that 27 children were ineligible for reimbursement. Those students were claimed in error for four months.’ The ERROR in question could have been made by the BOE. Read the letter closely. It does not say Moales claimed the kids in error. The statement could mean the BOE claimed the kids to the state in error. That is why the state is withholding the money.
BOE SPY, I could live in Hawaii and submit a Freedom of Information request to ANY public agency in Connecticut. CT Freedom of Information laws do not require ANYONE to file a request in court, your request is made to the public agency responsible for maintaining the records you are seeking. The only reason Mr. Pelto would have filed a claim in court is if he submitted a Freedom of Information request to a public agency. The public agency denied him access to the requested information. He must have then filed a complaint with the Freedom of Information Commission. The request was denied. Therefore, he filed legal action in court to allow a judge to rule on whether the requested information must be provided to him.
After further inspection, the lawsuit was filed by UCONN AGAINST the Freedom of Information Commission and Mr. Pelto. Mr. Pelto must have filed a FOI with UCONN. UCONN then denied his request. Mr. Pelto must have filed a complaint with the Freedom of Information complaint and they ruled in his favor. UCONN didn’t like the decision, so they filed a lawsuit in court to block having to release the information Mr. Pelto requested. That is the only reason there is any record of this particular request in judicial.gov.
BOE SPY, stop blaming the remaining eight BOE members for what the Moales family did. Clearly, Moales and Vallas were in collusion to keep the entire audit and its results SECRET. The chief financial officer and every single BBOE employee reports to the superintendent, not the elected BBOE. The only Bridgeport Board of Education staff member employed and supervised by the elected Board of Education is the superintendent. The only employee the elected Board of Education evaluates is the superintendent.
articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-04-07/news/chi-vallas-gets-new-sixfigure-job-as-he-runs-for-lieutenant-governor-20140407_1_quinn-campaign-lieutenant-governor-democratic-governor