Nonprofit gets report from investigation of Rev. William Barber’s alimony payments
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Repairers of the Breach received investigators' report on its finances.
- The group says the report confirms Barber's alimony payments came from approved salary
- Group rejects involvement in divorce case despite ex-wife's allegations.
An outside audit and investigation has found the Rev. William Barber II has done nothing improper in using his salary from the nonprofit Repairers of the Breach to pay alimony to his ex-wife, the group’s board chair said Saturday.
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove said the board met Saturday to review a report from Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein of Charlotte. The board hired the law firm to review its financial records and procedures and to investigate allegations Rebecca Barber made in legal filings in May over how to divide the former couple’s assets.
“There is no evidence to support allegations that Reverend Barber improperly used or directed organizational funds for personal benefit,” the board said in a statement after its Saturday meeting.
Wilson-Hartgrove declined to share the full report produced by investigators, saying that it contains confidential information about employees that the group does not want to make public for security reasons. But he provided an excerpt that says, in part:
“In summary, based on the documentation reviewed, there is no indication that Reverend Barber directed or received funds beyond his authorized salary.”
The allegations
The Barbers divorced in November 2024 after more than 37 years of marriage. Court records say that since at least November 2023, William Barber has been depositing $7,000 a month into a joint account of the Barbers’ as financial support for his ex-wife.
William Barber is founder, president and senior lecturer for Repairers of the Breach, which began in North Carolina in 2015 and is now a nationally known social justice and anti-poverty advocacy group. His salary from Repairers of the Breach is more than $224,000 per year, which he receives in twice-monthly payments of $9,357.
Rebecca Barber’s attorney, Charles Ullman of Raleigh, has contended that William Barber “maintains de facto control over the financial accounts” of Repairers of the Breach and is using the organization as an instrument of his personal financial affairs.
Through her attorney, Rebecca Barber asked that Repairers of the Breach therefore be considered a third party in the couple’s divorce proceedings, possibly entitling her to some of its funds. No ruling has been made on that request.
Wilson-Hartgrove said Saturday the board does not believe it should be drawn into the property dispute.
What did the investigation find?
In its statement, Repairers of the Breach said, “The investigation included interviews and a detailed review of payroll records, internal communications, audit reports, and organizational policies. Parker Poe’s investigation confirmed that all funds received by and disbursed to Reverend Barber were in compliance with and pursuant to his Board-approved salary. We can confirm that all payments made to Reverend Barber align with approved amounts, and any transfers made to a personal account were made from his own salary, independent of Repairers of the Breach.”
The group said that to protect its financial integrity, no individual in the organization has sole or unfettered access to or control over finances or accounts; and the group has a system of rigorous checks and balances, including monthly account reconciliations, dual signatory requirements, segregation of financial duties, regular oversight by the Board of Directors, and independent annual audits.
“These practices ensure transparency, accountability, and the responsible stewardship of all funds entrusted to the organization,” the statement said.
Ullman, Rebecca Barber’s attorney, could not be reached Saturday for comment.
Meanwhile, in Washington
Wilson-Hartgrove said Rebecca Barber’s allegations had been a distraction from the focus of Repairers of the Breach. The group has been holding “Moral Mondays in DC” since the spring in opposition to proposed federal policies it says benefit corporations and the wealthy at the expense of the poor.
Those include the budget bill passed on May 22 by the U.S. House that would make permanent the 2017 tax cuts passed during President Donald Trump’s first term and would cut Medicaid coverage and funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Barber and others have been arrested at least twice while praying at the Capitol as part of protesting the bill.
The next event is scheduled for June 30.
This story was originally published June 21, 2025 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Nonprofit gets report from investigation of Rev. William Barber’s alimony payments."
