The vote was unanimous. Whitney Ashford was removed as chair of the foundation, and an independent audit was approved. The board also voted to refer the matter to the state attorney general's office for criminal investigation. It was more than I had hoped for. It was more than I had dreamed.
But it wasn't over.
The next week was a whirlwind. The story broke in the local paper, and then in the regional news, and then on the national wire. WHITNEY ASHFORD ACCUSED OF EMBEZZLEMENT. FOUNDATION CHAIR RESIGNS AMID SCANDAL. It was everywhere. The state opened an investigation. The FBI got involved, because some of the money had crossed state lines. Whitney's lawyers issued statements denying everything. Whitney herself went on the offensive, giving interviews, claiming she was the victim of a sm
