In August 2020, Baltimore Brew broke the story of trouble at Strong City Baltimore - disclosing that the fiscal sponsorship powerhouse's finances were in deep disarray, with the small grassroots groups whose funds it manages wondering why they were unable to access their money. But even after the serious issues were exposed and Strong City officials said they were making corrections, the groups reported that their finances were still being mishandled. "The mismanagement and lack of transparency impacts tens of thousands of people, including youth, parents, homeless people, survivors of violence and other vulnerable populations," they said in an op-ed. Since then, Strong City ended its fiscal sponsorship initiative. And, as The Brew revealed, Baltimore's Inspector General began a probe, the U.S. Attorney's Office launched an investigation and the FBI was conducting interviews. The organization was also hit by a federal tax lien and a lawsuit by clients. In August 2023, three years after our initial story, former Strong City CEO Reginald Davis was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of wire fraud and money laundering.
