The son of a renowned watercolorist made famous worldwide for his portrayal of the Amish has been accused of misusing more than $168,000 in charitable funds from a nonprofit created to provide education about Amish culture in America.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office filed a complaint Jan. 31 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court against Kenneth Lawton, the son of Florian K. Lawton, a famed artist and Garfield Heights native who passed away in 2011 at the age of 89.
Florian Lawton was educated at the Cleveland Art Institute and was considered a prolific watercolor artist who focused on local scenes. One of his favorite subjects was local Amish in everyday settings.
The complaint alleges Lawton used his nonprofit – the Florian K. Lawton Foundation (“FKLF”) — as a pass-through entity to hide personal income and assets. He is accused of diverting funds from the foundation’s bank account to pay for personal expenses between 2010 and 2014.
His actions caused FKLF to dissolve in September 2013, the lawsuit alleges.
“Our investigation found that the defendant was using the charity’s money as if it were his own,” DeWine said in a Feb. 2 media release announcing the filing of the lawsuit. “We’re seeking an order to prevent this individual from operating or soliciting for a charity in Ohio.”
Lawton ran the foundation on Barrington Town Square Drive in Aurora at the time in question, but now resides in Mattapoisett, Mass., according to the lawsuit.
Incorporated in Ohio in 2010, FKLF’s stated purpose was to provide “continued education through an array of programs with university and museums about the Amish culture here in America.” However, investigators with the attorney general’s Charitable Law Section found the foundation failed to provide such programming,
Instead, the lawsuit claims Lawton used the foundation to evade personal liability for his own private contracts.
Lawton is accused of violating Ohio charitable laws.
The attorney general is seeking damages, civil penalties and a permanent injunction to prevent Lawton from holding any position as an officer, trustee or employee of a nonprofit in Ohio, and from soliciting for charitable purposes in Ohio.
