Others went to a vehicle dealership.

There were invoices to contractors that seemed to share addresses and contact numbers.

That did not automatically mean every transaction was a crime.

A legitimate organization can have operational expenses and messy bookkeeping.

But the pattern justified asking hard questions, especially because Ruth’s name appeared on paperwork she said she had never approved.

We also learned something that changed the scale of the issue.

Several donors had been promised that their funds were earmarked for renovations to the homes of disabled veterans.