Gawker's being careful about their words on this one but let me first say that I take back what I said. I've been warming up to these guys of late.  And now they've become my initial source on a very sad situation.

Apologies out of the way, The Smoking Gun has unveiled the Yele Haiti Foundation's financial records and it's a sad tale of financial mismanagement and decisions that look pretty f*cking shady and self-serving to me.  [TSG followup here.]

But, let's assume the best, that they're just f*ckups who mean well. Do you give your money to f*ckups when tens of thousands are dead or dying?

I hope the f*ck not.

Now, let's assume the worst, that they're con artists. Given the history of nonprofit cons that I've followed, primarily in the arts and in anti-AIDS organizations, none of this is surprising, it's simply incredibly f*cking tragic.

Cliche-ridden journalists will often close such writing with a phrase like, "the truth lies somewhere between", whether or not that is an accurate depiction. But, in this case that looks like the most reasonable assumption, i.e., that they're trying to do good but have made numerous choices that undermine their work. In addition, they can't really help now but may well do good work on down the line, so it's not a total waste.

Right now people are still lying under rubble and dying, gangs are organizing, riots may be around the corner.  People don't have food and water.  You die real quick without water.

Right now we should be giving money to people who can help right now.

I don't know the landscape well enough to suggest the best organizations but I would look to people with long-standing experience at working on the ground immediately after disasters.

At this moment, that's what Haiti needs. Let's not disappoint them due to our love of a pop star.

More from Gawker:

UPDATE: Is Wyclef Jean's Charity the Best One to Help Haiti?

More on Why Donating to Wyclef Jean's Charity Might Not Be the Best Way to Help Haitians Right Now

Update: Wyclef Jean responds to accusations on an emotional level without really addressing the details which remain in question:

Wyclef's Personal Statement on the Accusations Against Yele Haiti

From YouTube/VladTV:
"Wyclef is disgusted by rumors that he profited from his Charity Organization."

First, they aren't rumors, they're financial records revealed by The Smoking Gun here and here, though rumors probably followed.

In the above video, Wyclef addresses some of the issues raised and suggests possible explanations for the accusations but mostly plays on people's hearts rather than directly addressing what the financial records revealed. At the end of the day, the heartbreaking footage from Haiti he will soon drop doesn't address those issues.

As I noted above, the most likely scenario is that he means well but that his Foundation has longstanding issues that need to be addressed or they will continue to undermine his work.

I really don't doubt Wyclef's heart, though I don't know the man, but he still hasn't addressed what the financial records revealed.

More from Wyclef Jean via Gawker:
Wyclef Jean: My Charity Has Made 'Mistakes'

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
More Bad News: Gawker Obtains Internal Documents from Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Foundation
Russell Simmons Obfuscates the Yele Haiti Issue While Gawker Has a Better Idea