Maryland has awarded $6 million to We Our Us, a nonprofit led by Antoine Burton, who owes more than $200,000 in federal and state tax liens dating back to 2017, according to investigative reporting by Fox 45 Baltimore. The situation has renewed concerns about how officials vet organizations receiving major public funding.

Gov. Wes Moore approved the $6.1 million Department of Juvenile Services contract to “engage justice-involved youth in Baltimore City.” The award came shortly after Moore praised Baltimore’s community partnerships, saying, “We know that partnership produces progress, and there’s no better case study than Baltimore.”

Burton, who owes $176,000 to the IRS and $32,000 to Maryland, told Spotlight on Maryland he has a plan to resolve his liens: “Right now, that's something that's being disputed… there's a team that's in place to make sure that funds are facilitated properly.” He did not provide any documents.

DJS said the nonprofit is in good standing with the state and has received $815,398 since 2023 through the Thrive Academy. It has not yet billed the state for the new $6 million contract. Gov. Moore’s office and DJS did not say whether they were aware of Burton’s liens before granting the award.

The report, citing experts, says the liens should have been considered. Georgia State professor Amanda Beck said, “I personally think it's reasonable to make that a part of this decision.”

We Our Us has also not filed its IRS nonprofit forms for the past two fiscal years. The group says it requested an extension due to a voluntary audit, but Florida International University professor Erica Harris said, “That is not appropriate… You file your estimated information and then you amend with whatever audited information that you have if there needs to be adjustments. But you need to file by the filing date.”

Burton said the new funding will help expand mentoring, food distribution, addiction support, and job-assistance programs: “We are embedded in the lives of these kids. Some of them even look at some of our life coaches as father figures because we are engaged week in and week out, making sure there's an accountability system in place.”

Burton’s divorce records show his ex-wife alleged he had “multiple affairs,” hid a “tax lien against him that he failed to inform” her about, and “accrued large amounts of financial debt and intentionally hid this information.” Burton denied the claims, telling Spotlight on Maryland, “I did not hide any finances from my wife.” He ended the interview after questions about his personal life, saying, “I can’t believe you guys did this.”

The $6 million award was issued through a “Non-Competitive Negotiated Procurement.” Beck said such processes can be “controversial” and added, “The concern is that you are giving the business to whomever you want to give the business to, and structuring proposals to give it to that business.”

We Our Us is also slated to receive $1 million from Baltimore City’s opioid settlement with Walgreens, though the grant agreement is not finalized and the funds have not yet been disbursed.

You can watch Burton humiliate himself during the interview here: