Hunger charity charges graft by founder

OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- The world hunger charity Feed the Children says it is investigating its founder, Larry Jones, on corruption allegations.

The organization is looking into whether Jones used a kickback to help pay off a $1 million construction loan on his new suburban Oklahoma City home, The Oklahoman reported.

Jones denied the accusation to the newspaper as "bogus." He said he and his wife, Frances, used personal funds to pay off the loan.

The charity's attorneys have subpoenaed records on the home's financing from banks, an abstract company and another company. Jones and his wife want a judge to quash the subpoenas.

The attorneys believe the payoff came from a source connected to a vendor, they wrote in explaining why they subpoenaed records.

Jones was the Oklahoma City-based charity's president. He was fired in November and is suing to get his job back. The charity is countersuing for monetary damages.

Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki Robertson scheduled a hearing for Sept. 9.