The Lying Never Ceases: We Demand Accountability Now

Andrew Moore
Aug 28
2 min read

For years, the San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has invoked values like integrity and service—but under Interim CEO Brandon Cox, those words ring hollow. After recent media coverage, we take a closer look to reveal a disturbing pattern of dishonesty, deception, and outright perjury, and yet regulators remain silent.

The “70% Salaries” Myth

Cox brazenly claimed that 70% of the organization’s budget goes to staff salaries—a wildly misleading figure. We find that LightHouse’s FY 2023 IRS filings tell the real story:

Total Expenses: ≈ $23.8 M

Executive Compensation: ≈ $1.5 M (6.3%)

Other Salaries & Wages: ≈ $8.6 M (36%)

Combined Salaries/Wages: ≈ 42%—not 70%.

This isn’t a careless exaggeration—it’s a deliberate distortion meant to mislead the blind community, donors, and the public alike.

Perjury in Court

Cox has gone further than spinning numbers—he has lied under oath to a judge. That’s perjury, a serious crime. Yet, it is startling that no government agency has held him accountable. If a nonprofit CEO can lie under oath without consequence, what confidence can anyone have in oversight, especially when the Board has consistently refused to discharge its fiduciary duties?

iCanConnect Lies Told to the Media and FCC Deception

The dishonesty doesn’t end there:

To the San Francisco Chronicle, Cox’s ally, Diana McCown (who is earning her LightHouse salary while living in Maryland), claimed there were 10 full-time iCanConnect trainers. The reality is that there is only one right now.
To the FCC, in sworn interrogatory responses available on the FCC’s website, Cox inflated the number of trainers. This amounts to potential fraud against a federal program.

Hypocrisy from the Pulpit

Even more striking is the hypocrisy. Cox is an active member (Deacon, to be specific) of Clayton Valley Church, which preaches the importance of respecting authority and living truthfully. Yet, in the corridors of power at LightHouse, he has abused authority—perjuring himself, fostering a hostile workplace, fooling regulators, and betraying the trust of the community he claims to serve.

Oversight Has Failed

From salary deception, to perjury, to deliberate misrepresentation to federal agencies, an unmistakable picture of corruption emerges. Despite this, government regulators remain inert, leading us to speculate whether Cox has corrupt ties with government officials. Oversight that fails to act is oversight that enables. Consequently, the blind and DeafBlind communities continue to suffer under executives who lie with impunity.

Time for Real Accountability

This cannot stand. The Board must act—and if it won’t, the community should aggressively seek its removal or pursue litigation for breach of fiduciary duty. Our Campaign demands:

Transparency in reporting and staffing.
Accountability through an independent review of Cox’s actions.
A leadership reset grounded in truth, integrity, and service.
Removal of current Board leadership members who have consistently prioritized protecting Cox over LightHouse.

No more lies. No more cover-ups. It’s time for real leadership at LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. We call for justice for the blind and DeafBlind communities now!