UK watchdog slams family of fundraiser Capt. Tom Moore for making personal gains from charity

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s charity regulator on Thursday sanctioned the daughter and son-in-law of Capt. Tom Moore, saying they personally benefited from a charity set up in the name of the World War II veteran who raised millions of pounds by walking laps of his garden during the coronavirus pandemic.

Moore, who died in 2021 at 100 years old, raised almost 39 million pounds ($49 million) through his daily walks, inspiring people across the U.K. who followed his exploits in daily TV updates during the early weeks of the pandemic. All of that money was donated to Britain’s National Health Service.

The problems began after Moore’s family established the Captain Tom Foundation to continue his fundraising efforts.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales slammed his daughter and son-in-law in a damning report that found they made almost 1.5 million pounds ($1.9 million) from activities linked to the charity, including a book deal and an 18,000-pound fee to attend an awards ceremony.

The foundation has urged the family to rectify matters by returning the funds due to the charity.

The regulator has barred Moore’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, from serving as a trustee for any charity for 10 years and her husband, Colin, for a period of eight years.

The Ingram-Moores said the report treated them unfairly and that the charity watchdog had a “predetermined agenda.”

“True accountability demands transparency, not selective storytelling,’’ the family said in a statement. “We remain dedicated to upholding Captain Sir Tom’s legacy and want the public to know, that there has never been any misappropriation of funds or unauthorized payments from the charity’s bank account, by any member of our family.”

By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press