Wyclef Jean's Haiti fund shuttered

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NEW YORK, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- The charity founded by singing star Wyclef Jean for Haitian relief remained shut down amid an investigation into its fundraising practices, records showed.

The Hollywood Reporter said Yele Haiti ceased operations this summer while under the scrutiny of the Attorney General of the State of New York.

The investigation came after The New York Times and the New York Post printed separate investigations into the financial records of Yele Haiti involving alleged heavy spending on lavish fundraisers, office overhead and personal expenses for Jean and his family.

Yele Haiti was established in 2005 and reached a pinnacle in 2010 when it raised $16 million to assist people in Jean's native Haiti who were displaced by the huge quake the previous year. The Post said last year only $5.1 million actually went to quake relief.

Other beneficiaries allegedly included $1 million to a Florida organization that may or may not exist, and $100,000 to Jean's girlfriend.

Jean has publicly defended Yele Haiti. He resigned from the organization in 2010 to campaign for president in Haiti, The Hollywood Reporter said.