NC DHHS hits Balanced Nutrition with invoice for $100K+
Mark Robinson and Yolanda Hill spent such a short time in the Raleigh political limelight. But that adventure — which came to an end on New Year’s Day — still seems to be producing fallout.
The state board of elections has fined Robinson’s 2020 campaign for lieutenant governor $35,000 as part of a settlement over an investigation into alleged financial irregularities. Balanced Nutrition – a nonprofit contractor with the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services managed by Hill and employing several members of the Robinson family – was cited by the elections board for reportedly donating to Robinson’s 2020 campaign. (Driveby media reports indicate that alleged infraction has been turned over to criminal investigators.)
Initial reports about a review of Balanced Nutrition‘s finances for the first quarter of 2024 indicated that the nonprofit was being fined in excess of $132,000. NCDHHS’s full findings against Balanced Nutrition, and the monetary assessment, were challenged by lawyers representing Hill and Balanced Nutrition. Today’s letter from DHHS officials appears to close the door on the state’s part of the Q1 2024 review of Balanced Nutrition. (There’s no telling what, if anything, will be done by The US Department of Agriculture in connection with this fiscal review of Balanced Nutrition. The feds tend to work much quieter than their state counterparts.)
Here’s one of the letter’s more interesting parts:
[…] The initial compliance review found $132,118.86 owed as indicated in correspondence from the State agency on July 26, 2024. However, the additional materials provided in September 2024 have been thoroughly reviewed, and the result is the removal of two facility findings and a reduction in the amount owed by Balanced Nutrition, Inc. to the State agency.
The revised Disallowances for Meals and those for Costs being provided with this correspondence is the debt owed to the State agency. The revised amount owed to the State agency is $101,142.05 based on additional documentation provided in September 2024 and a re-review of the overall case. An invoice will be prepared and sent to the address on file. Payment is expected within 30 days of receipt of the demand letter/invoice. […]
Here’s a document from DHHS detailing their revised findings in the review of Balanced Nutrition.
Okay. So, let’s add this up. Robinson has a team of expensive lawyers handling his legal complaint against CNN. Then there’s the team of lawyers helping to navigate this matter with DHHS. There’s the $35,000 fine from the state board of elections and the $101,142.05 bill from this matter. (It sounds like there may be more lawyer-related activity tied to the elections board review of Robinson’s 2020 finances. That, of course, costs money.)
