Ashley Biden’s nonprofit is facing an official IRS complaint after failing to publicly disclose its $250,000 donation from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
A watchdog has contacted the tax agency after the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce didn’t reveal that it had received the money in 2023 – when her father was still President – from Archewell, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s own nonprofit.
The conservative National Legal and Policy Center said Ashley’s organization, which is based in Philadelphia and calls itself a ‘trauma-informed wellness center,’ was in ‘clear violation’ of the reporting rules.
Its legal counsel, Paul Kamenar, also questioned how Ashley could claim a salary of just $12.75 per hour and said that her workload could be ‘exaggerated’.
He demanded that Ashley be deposed and the IRS determine ‘what civil and criminal penalties’ should be appropriate.
Ashley, 43, a former social worker who is the only child of Joe and Jill Biden, opened the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce in 2023.
The center offers resources like guided meditation and therapy including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which Prince Harry has done and Ashley herself turned to after her half-brother Beau died in 2015 from a brain tumor.
According to Kamenar, she made an error while filling out her 990 forms, which are the tax forms nonprofits have to file to the IRS.
Ashley Biden’s nonprofit is facing an official IRS complaint after failing to publicly disclose its $250,000 donation from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The donation came from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s non-profit Archewell. This large sum came to light when it was disclosed in the ex-Royals’ non-profit 2023 tax filings
The National Legal and Policy Center is the watchdog group that sent the complaint to the IRS about Ashley’s failure to disclose the donation
The donation was disclosed in the 2023 Archewell tax filings, which is how it became public – it was the largest grant for that year from the organization.
The donation listing says it was to ‘create a safe space focused on wellness for women who have experienced trauma’.
Neither Archewell nor Ashley Biden’s group returned requests for comment.
In his letter, written under penalty of perjury, Kamenar said: ‘The large contribution raised eyebrows because of the political implications of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s attempts to ingratiate themselves with President Biden and his family.’
It added: ‘Ms Biden failed to report the receipt of a grant of $250,000 made in 2023 by the Archewell Foundation, founded by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
‘In addition, there are other reporting violations by Ms Biden.’
Paul Kamenar, the legal council for The National Legal and Policy Center, said that it was a ‘clear violation’ of the reporting rules by Ashley’s organization
The complaint notes that Ashley only recorded $170,296 in total revenue for the 2023 tax year, meaning that the Archewell donation easily eclipsed all the others to the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce that year.
The center recorded $115,138 of expenses meaning that, as of the end of 2023, it had $55,158 in assets.
‘A full audit of Ashley Biden’s group is warranted to determine where the $250,000 cash grant was deposited and its disposition,’ the letter states.
The $250,000 donation from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex came in 2023 when her father Joe Biden was still president
According to Kamenar, she made an error while filling out her 990 forms, which are the tax forms nonprofits have to file to the IRS
The complaint notes that Ashley only recorded $170,296 in total revenue for the 2023 tax year, meaning that the Archewell donation easily eclipsed all the others to the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce that year
Prince Harry chatting with Joe and Jill Biden at the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017
Kamenar told DailyMail.com that he had ‘no idea’ why the money was not publicly recorded.
He said that the ‘innocent’ explanation might be an accounting error but regardless it was a ‘red flag’ that warranted further inquiry.
The IRS complaint outlines other inconsistencies in the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce filing, including claiming there were eight members of the board but only listing seven.
The 990 forms state that Ashley worked 40 hours a week but only earned $11,250 between July and the end of the year, the reporting period for the nonprofit.
But that works out at $511 a week, or $12.75 per hour, around the same as a McDonald’s worker’s hourly wage in Philadelphia.
The complaint states: ‘While Ms Biden’s pay is low for her educational and work experience (we) believe that her reported 40-hour work week may have been exaggerated since she was engaged in politically related and other activities, including foreign travel with her mother (Jill Biden).’
Ashley previously worked at the Delaware Center for Justice, a nonprofit that advocates for communities impacted by incarceration.
Kamenar said that while criminal prosecution was an enforcement option for nonprofits that did not file the correct paperwork, the most likely outcome was that Ashley would have to refile the forms and possibly pay a fine.
Kamenar told DailyMail.com that he had ‘no idea’ why the money was not publicly recorded and that it raised eyebrows because of the ‘political implications of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s attempts to ingratiate themselves with President Biden’
The letter stated that the 990 forms list Ashley as working 40 hours per week, but argued that this could be misleading, as she was frequently traveling with her mother, Jill Biden, for politically-related purposes
Despite the long work hours, Ashley only earned $11,250 between July and the end of the year, which would mean she was getting paid $12.50 hourly
Another issue the watchdog group pointed out was only seven board members were listed on the 990 form while claiming there are eight in total
The Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce has few details online apart from its Instagram account, which includes a link for users to donate to a baby registry for one of its participants.
One post talks about how the site offers a Clearlight infrared sauna which it claims are ‘great tools for relieving chronic pain associated with trauma and PTSD, by helping to reduce the stress hormone, cortisol’.
Other supposed benefits include ‘detoxification, better sleep, joint pain and stiffness, and fatigue reduction’.
The model in the post appears to be the Clearlight Sanctuary I which retails for around $6,600 per unit and comes with an ergonomic bench, color light therapy and full spectrum heaters.
The $250,000 donation to the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce featured heavily in the most recent ‘Impact Report’ from Archewell, where the organization touted its biggest achievements.
It said: ‘Drawing from her experience with the criminal justice system, (Ashley) Biden’s initiative is inspired by her work with Mural Arts’ Women’s Reentry Program, providing support and opportunities for formerly incarcerated women.
‘The center aims to offer a safe haven and community for women impacted by trauma, providing resources such as nutritious food, exercise, meditation, and therapeutic interventions.’
An article in People magazine announcing the partnership added that the space is closely aligned with Meghan’s ‘mission to elevate mental health’.
Ashley’s non-profit is located in Philadelphia and aims to provide a ‘safe haven and community for women impacted by trauma’. Very little information, besides its Instagram page, is available
The Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce offered a Clearlight infrared sauna to help with ‘trauma and PTSD’. One unit costs $6,600 and comes with a bench, color light therapy and heaters
The IRS complaint comes after the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, said that the Sussexes should face an investigation for their donation to Ashley, which came when her father was President
The IRS complaint comes after the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, said that the Sussexes should face an investigation for their donation to Ashley, which came when her father was President.
Nile Gardiner, Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, called for ‘significant scrutiny’ of the money paid to Ashley Biden.
Gardiner said he said there should be ‘full transparency and oversight’, apparently suggesting it could have been a way to gain influence.
DailyMail.com contacted Ashley Biden, the accountants on her tax forms and Archewell for comment.
