A former commander of the Idaho American Legion is under investigation for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars after years of financial irregularities were discovered on the nonprofit’s books.
Charles “Abe” Abrahamson, 54, of Mountain Home, who later served as a senior member of the organization’s statewide executive committee, was suspended from his position in April on suspicion of misusing American Legion funds. Two days later, Idaho State Police executed a search warrant at his home and collected a variety of American Legion property, according to an email to members from Idaho American Legion Commander Doug Huffman.
The statewide nonprofit organization, based in Boise, primarily provides services to military veterans. It’s still calculating the total numbers, but so far it estimates the amount of money Abrahamson allegedly stole at at least $750,000, said Bob Skinner, a veteran member of the Idaho American Legion national executive committee.
“It’s like a stab in my heart,” Skinner said in a telephone interview with the Idaho Statesman. “From my point of view, this person was trustworthy, and I would have trusted him with my life. And boy, he fooled us all.”
Idaho State Police declined to say whether the agency had served a search warrant at Abrahamson’s home in Elmore County, and also denied a public records request from the Statesman for any criminal investigative documents related to Abrahamson. The agency cited exceptions to the release of police investigative data, including the possibility that it could interfere with law enforcement proceedings or deprive someone of the right to a fair trial.
Elmore County Prosecutor Shonda Lott confirmed to the Statesman that ISP had served a search warrant on Abrahamson’s home, but said she had no other information to share at this time.
Abrahamson was reached by a Statesman reporter on his cell phone Thursday evening and hung up when asked about the Idaho American Legion’s allegations. Follow-up emails to Abrahamson were not responded to.
No charges have been filed against Abrahamson, Idaho American Legion Executive Committee Member Sandy Castellano said Tuesday at a local chapter meeting in Eagle. While the investigation is ongoing, it remains unclear whether the nonprofit will file a civil suit against Abrahamson, she told members.
American Legion ‘had a big problem to discuss’
The Idaho American Legion leadership team said it first noticed red flags about its finances late last year. The concerns included an unpaid loan and some unresolved tax debts, Huffman told Membership in the email obtained by the Statesman, which detailed the nonprofit’s allegations against Abrahamson. Before his suspension, Abrahamson served in the role of adjutant for the statewide nonprofit, a senior executive position that directly assists the commander.
“We saw a number of bills that were not paid and we asked questions about them. Of course he had answers for everything,” Skinner said, adding that he always considered Abrahamson a good friend. “It got so out of hand that we said, ‘Okay, something’s wrong here, we need to figure out what’s going on.’ ”
Skinner, noting that the Idaho American Legion has about 11,000 members in more than 100 local chapters statewide, confirmed the authenticity of Huffman’s email to the Statesman.
The situation quickly went from bad to worse.
The property taxes at the nonprofit’s headquarters in Boise had not been paid for a few years and the building was suddenly approaching foreclosure, Skinner said. Several investment savings accounts used each year to fund various youth programs had been cleaned out and closed, he said.
A checking account the organization maintained normally held $90,000, Skinner told the Statesman. Bank records soon showed it had a balance of about $1,000, Huffman told the membership.
“We knew we had a big issue to discuss,” Huffman wrote in the email.
Acting on the advice of advocates including former Idaho Attorney General Alan Lance, who previously served as the American Legion’s national commander, the Idaho American Legion contacted Boise police in March to express its concerns. Boise police turned the investigation over to ISP, Huffman and Skinner said.
A Boise police spokesperson referred the Statesman to the Idaho State Police.
Nonprofit organization alleges falsified financial documents
Each year, the Idaho American Legion’s Finance Commission reviewed its balance sheets to prepare the nonprofit’s annual budgets, but the documentation for those accounts was overseen by Abrahamson in his most recent role, Skinner said. The organization’s leadership now alleges that Abrahamson fabricated data to avoid detection while siphoning off nonprofit funds for personal use, Huffman told members.
“Without our knowledge, he forged all those documents, and that’s how it happened,” Skinner said. “We thought there were checks and balances in it. Obviously we didn’t do that.”
The organization has already rewritten its bylaws to prevent a similar situation, Skinner said. Financial practices have also been overhauled to ensure that banks send account information directly to the Finance Commission, rather than just to the person in Abrahamson’s previous leadership role.
Still, the loss of funding threatens to impact some of the nonprofit’s annual services statewide. There will undoubtedly be cuts to programs, Skinner said, but the Idaho American Legion plans to continue some of its usual offerings, including government high school education, the youth baseball league and support for children battling cancer.
“It’s a tight budget, but we’ll get there,” Skinner said.
“It paralyzed us, but it didn’t incapacitate us. It has certainly put us at a significant disadvantage, but we just have to try to move forward, and that is what we intend to do.”
Abrahamson recognized by Idaho’s U.S. Senators
These are not the first financial claims against Abrahamson, a Gulf War veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He later joined the Idaho National Guard.
Abrahamson was convicted of grand larceny in 2001 in Twin Falls County, according to court records. He violated his probation and was resentenced in June 2004 to a maximum of ten years in prison.
The Idaho American Legion was unaware of the extent of Abrahamson’s criminal history, Skinner said. When the organization asked him about his past as he rose to leadership of the organization, Abrahamson was dishonest about the circumstances, Skinner said. He also acknowledged that the leadership team should have taken a closer look.
But since his release in July 2014, Abrahamson has made a name for himself within the Idaho American Legion and in the broader community, according to the Idaho state prison system. Idaho’s two U.S. senators spotlighted him for his work.
Abrahamson, co-owner with his wife Robin for many years of an auto service shop called A & J Auto Repair in Twin Falls, won respect as the operator of a veteran-owned small business in the state. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, recognized the Abrahamsons as such when he read their names into the Congressional Record in November 2019.
Abrahamson had received American Legion National Recruiter of the Year honors, Risch noted. He recruited more than 700 new members in the past year, Risch said.
In 2020, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, named Abrahamson one of his recipients for the annual “Spirit of Freedom” Idaho veterans service awards.
“While his time in uniform may be over, his service to others continues to this day,” then-Commander Darrel Homer of the Idaho Falls Post of the Idaho American Legion wrote in Abrahamson’s nomination. “Abe has also assisted the youth of the community during his significant service.”
Abrahamson joined the Idaho American Legion leadership team in mid-2017, Skinner said. He credited Abrahamson with helping establish two local chapters of the organization in the state prison system.
Most recently, in January, Risch honored Abrahamson for saving a man from a burning vehicle that reportedly exploded along a highway moments later during the 2023 holiday season, according to a KTVB report.
Risch and Crapo’s offices did not respond to requests for comment from the Statesman.
Late last year, under Abrahamson’s watch, the Idaho American Legion raised questions about the nonprofit’s finances, according to Huffman’s email to the membership. Within months, Abrahamson was suspended from his position on the organization’s leadership team.
Working with state police, Skinner said the organization continues to try to piece together Abrahamson’s actions.
“He did good things for the Legion, and that’s a shame,” Skinner said. “But he won’t be remembered for that. He will be remembered as a thug.”
