Latino Group Wins Back Bulk of State Funds It Lost

Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, the embattled Latino rights group, has won back most of $2.1 million in state education funding it lost in February. But its financial records are being examined by the IRS, and the long-term financial outlook for the nonprofit organization is still up in the air.

After a march on the state Capitol two weeks ago, including four busloads of elderly legal immigrants who had benefited from the group’s citizenship classes, Hermandad officials were notified Tuesday night that they would receive $1.8 million worth of the desperately needed funds.

State education officials said Hermandad finally completed a long overdue audit last month and met several other conditions required by a state auditor.

IRS auditors have been examining the group’s records for more than a week, a Hermandad employee said. IRS officials could not be reached for comment. They have said in the past that they could neither confirm nor deny they were investigating any organization, including Hermandad.

Hermandad leaders could not be reached for comment.

County, state and federal investigators are trying to determine whether Hermandad illegally helped register noncitizens as voters in its Santa Ana classes last year, some of whom cast ballots in the November election.