Katrina Relief Fund diverted to right-wing churches

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund Director Quits
Jul 14 7:20 PM US/Eastern

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI
Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS

The head of a Katrina charity established by former Presidents Bush and
Clinton resigned Friday under duress, a day after the exodus of seven
members of one of its committees.

In a statement, the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund announced that "in the
best interests of the mission of The Fund," its executive director,
Mary Ann Wyrsch agreed to step down.

Her resignation comes after the abrupt departure of seven out of nine
religious leaders serving on a committee charged with disbursing $20
million to hurricane-damaged churches.

The departing committee members said they were upset with how they had
been treated by the charity's Washington staff. They claim the staff
repeatedly undermined their grant-making decisions, sending money to
churches without properly investigating them.

.