The request follows a revelation that the former executive director continued to seek grants, even though agency lost its not-for-profit status.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County officials say they’ve asked the district attorney’s office to investigate the actions of the former director of the Seneca Babcock Community Association, who they say appears to have submitted false documents to gain county grants. 

This latest turn of events in the Seneca Babcock saga also has county lawmakers calling for more diligence before awarding taxpayer money to any agency, whether it comes from the county or if it’s state money being passed through the county, which is used to fund hundreds of programs.

Former Seneca Babcock Executive Director Director Brian Pilarski resigned after admitting that he failed to file required 990 forms with Internal Revenue Service on behalf of of the agency for several years, resulting in the agency losing its not-for-profit status in June of 2021.

Despite that, Eric Tower, a special assistant commissioner for the Erie County Department of Social Services, told Erie County legislators on Thursday that the county kept on approving taxpayer grants to the agency because it was unaware that Seneca Babcock no longer had not-for-profit status and and never checked to see if it did.

Tower confirmed that Seneca Babcock received nine grants totaling roughly $110,000 since June 2021.

The Buffalo News reports that Seneca Babcock received more than $5 million in funding from Erie County and the City of Buffalo since 2017, the last year it is known to have filed an IRS 990 form.

There has been no indication money granted by the county to Seneca Babcock was used for anything other than its intended purposes, and Tower said the agency was presumed to be in good standing as a not for profit with the IRS because it submitted paperwork indicating that to be the case. 

He then confirmed that the matter has now been turned over to the District Attorney’s office for review of whether the documents submitted to obtain grants were therefore false and misleading. 

Frank Todaro (R -8th District) was the first county lawmaker to raise questions about Seneca Babcock, and on Friday he said this should serve notice on the Poloncarz administration to better mind the store when dolling out taxpayer dollars 

“A red flag in one not for profit could raise questions about others. We should always be progressively learning how things are running in each of these not for profits, that’s for sure,” he said.

A representative of Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick also told lawmakers his office in looking into matters surrounding Seneca Babcock and that it should have a report completed in six to eight months.