The Great Falls Clinic disclosed on Wednesday that its foundation’s fundraising director is no longer with the organization following revelations by Montana Free Press regarding his criminal past and allegations of a fraudulent fundraising event. The clinic did not confirm if Adrian Swensen was dismissed or resigned, leaving the foundation with only one full-time staff as a significant fundraising event approaches.
Adrian Swensen joined the Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation in August as a full-time fundraising administrator. The foundation is heavily invested in a housing project aimed at aiding patients. Recently, reports surfaced that Swensen was accused by the Kamala Harris presidential campaign in 2019 of staging a fake fundraising event without the campaign’s knowledge.
Swensen has a history of criminal activity, including theft, credit card fraud, and forgery. Among his convictions is a 2014 forgery of an American Red Cross check in Iowa. On Tuesday, the foundation removed Swensen from its staff website and deleted the announcement of his employment.
The clinic stated that background checks are conducted on all employees, but did not elaborate on Swensen’s hiring process. “We do a background check on all employees,” said Samantha Kaupish, director of marketing and professional services.
Swensen’s past frustrates donors such as Robyne, an 82-year-old resident who recently revoked her commitment to leave her estate to the foundation. Swensen’s criminal record includes an active arrest warrant for probation violation stemming from a 2018 theft conviction in Iowa.
Swensen was also involved in promoting a fake Kamala Harris event in Salt Lake City, costing a local business thousands of dollars. The day following this accusation, he was arrested in Wyoming for driving a stolen car and later sentenced to prison. His criminal activities span several decades and involve multiple aliases, suggesting a long history of deception.
—
Read More Montana News
