OnePulse, a nonprofit, entered into a grant agreement with the state for $500,000 in 2019, specifically for the development of “Pulse National Memorial and Museum” to honor the 49 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, as well as the shooting survivors — some of whom are vocal critics of the OnePulse foundation and have protested the museum project, calling instead for a permanent, publicly owned memorial.
With little progress made on the museum, however, the nonprofit announced in October that it wouldn't be moving forward with it. Under pressure from Pulse survivors and critics of the nonprofit, OnePulse soon after announced that its board had voted to begin the process of transferring its assets and dissolving the organization.
Critics have demanded answers as to where money collected by the organization has gone, as well as accountability for public funds collected through the state and local government.
A letter from the Florida Department of State sent to OnePulse on Dec. 5, 2023, informed the nonprofit organization that, under its state agreement, OnePulse would be required to pay back the state all of the grant money already paid out — $394,321 — if the foundation truly plans to abandon the project the funds were meant for.
“If the Grantee cannot provide detailed assurances that are consistent with the Grant Agreement, then the Division must end the Grant Agreement … and the Grantee is subject to repayment of 100% of the grants paid,” reads the letter, signed by Florida Department of State deputy general counsel Jon Morris.
In response, OnePulse spokesperson Scott Bowman told Orlando Weekly in a statement that OnePulse has hired legal counsel to review “the appropriate steps needed to carry out the board’s decision [to dissolve the organization] and comply with applicable Florida Statutes.”
“The answers to your other questions will be part of that process and will be shared at the appropriate time,” Bowman added.
The new letter from the Department of State comes one week after legal counsel for the Orange County government, which also agreed to give OnePulse money for the Pulse museum project, warned the board of county commissioners that the county — not OnePulse — could be on the hook for paying that state money back.
Orange County had entered into its own agreement with OnePulse, earmarking $10 million in tourist development tax dollars for the museum project in 2018.
At least $6.5 million of that had been spent as of late October — $3 million on design services, $3.5 million on purchasing land for the project, near the former club site — when OnePulse informed the county that the nonprofit planned to give up on the museum.
Not long after, however, the county sent a notice of default to OnePulse over the agreement, after learning of a breach of contract. The nonprofit, according to the county, had breached its agreement by leasing out portions of its property without the county’s consent. Under the agreement, OnePulse was barred from leasing out property intended for the Pulse museum without county approval.
In a discussion of the situation last week, Orange County’s legal team told the board of county commissioners that due to conditions of both the state and local agreements, the county (not OnePulse) could be on the hook for paying back the $394,321 to the state, as the soon-to-be successive owner of the property purchased for the museum.
The letter sent by the Department of States implies otherwise. According to the letter, OnePulse has 15 days as of receipt of the letter to “cure any impediment to fulfilling the obligations in the grant,” noting that the organization’s announced plans to give up on the museum and dissolve itself constituted a clear acknowledgment that OnePulse “cannot fulfill” its obligations.
The OnePulse foundation has collected millions of dollars over the years, some specifically for the development of a Pulse memorial and museum, although it has been scrutinized for paying several of its executives six-figure salaries.In 2019, the nonprofit also created an annual scholarship program to honor Pulse victims. However, by the foundation’s own admission, most scholarships have largely gone to people who were not at the club the night of the shooting, nor family members of victims.
Despite recent developments, some state money still remains unaccounted for. In addition to the $500,000 granted by the state in 2019, an additional $680,000 in state money was allocated for OnePulse for the “Pulse National Museum and Memorial” project in 2020 through a state appropriations process. The Dec. 5 letter from the Department of State does not address that budget allocation.
Orlando State Rep. Anna Eskamani, however, said she’s asked the state for an update on whether that $680,000 has already been spent, or if it can be returned to the state.
“My goal is to ensure that all public monies intended to go towards a Pulse memorial will go towards a Pulse memorial,” Eskamani told Orlando Weekly in a statement.
“This is not only important for the healing of our community but it is the fiscally responsible thing to do. I will continue to work with the Department of State and others to make this goal a reality so that we may honor the lives lost at Pulse in a meaningful and impactful way.”
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