(Washington, D. C.)—Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) requested two earmarks totaling $2,750,000 for an organization founded by a former priest listed on the report, ‘Archdiocesan Priests with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Minors.’ The report was issued by the Office of the Chancellor, Archdiocese of Chicago. Obama requested federal funding for AIDSCARE, Inc., described on Obama’s government website as “a non-profit, non-sectarian organization that provides housing and care for homeless children, families and adults living with advanced HIV/AIDS in the Chicago Area [sic].” AIDSCARE was founded by James V. Flosi. The Chicago Tribune described Flosi as, “a former Roman Catholic Priest…accused of molesting a minor…”
The Tribune said the molestation allegedly took place in 1980 when Flosi was an assistant pastor at Holy Name Cathedral. Flosi resigned from the priesthood in 1992.
The Archdiocese of Chicago noted the report containing Flosi’s name lists “priests…no longer in public ministry because an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor has been substantiated.”
Flosi’s name and additional information are also included at the website for BishopAccountability.org., a group dedicated to documenting the abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church. Anne Doyle, who serves on the group’s board of directors, said by phone from Boston, “This is a huge crisis…the church has washed its hands of responsibility.” Doyle’s group has been endorsed by the Attorney General of New Hampshire Kelly A. Ayotte, priests, attorneys and others.
The Tribune reported Monday the archdiocese of Chicago agreed to pay $13 million to settle claims brought by people who were children when they were abused by priests.
Flosi is listed by the state of Illinois as a lobbyist for AIDSCARE, Inc. In June, Obama released a list of numerous earmarks he requested and published them on his U.S. Senate home page.
(Text copyright Kay B. Day/2008)
Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 12:15PM 
The State of Illinois is investigating the use of a $100,000 grant awarded in 2001 by Sen. Barack Obama who was serving in the Illinois legislature at the time.The Chicago Sun-Times said, “A $100,000 state grant for a botanic garden in Englewood that then-state Sen. Barack Obama awarded in 2001 to a group headed by a onetime campaign volunteer is now under investigation by the Illinois attorney general amid new questions, prompted by Chicago Sun-Times reports, about whether the money might have been misspent.” The garden didn’t happen. The paper also says $65,000 of the grant money went to the wife of the Obama 2000 congressional campaign volunteer who heads the Chicago Better Housing Association. That grant pales in comparison to federal earmarks requests by Obama.