Report: Wounded Warrior Project fires top executives amid controversy

CBS News reported Thursday that Wounded Warrior Project CEO Steven Nardizzi and COO Al Giordano have been fired in the wake of allegations of lavish spending at the charity.

Nardizzi and Giordano were dismissed by the board after a meeting in New York on Thursday, CBS News reports. The Board has also received preliminary results of an independent financial audit, according to CBS News.

Wounded Warrior Project released a statement Thursday that said in part:

"To best effectuate these changes and help restore trust in the organization among all of the constituencies WWP serves, the Board determined the organization would benefit from new leadership, and WWP CEO Steve Nardizzi and COO Al Giordano are no longer with the organization.

"The Board announced that it has created an Office of the CEO to oversee the organization on an interim basis effective immediately. The Office of the CEO will be led by WWP Chairman Anthony Odierno and consist of senior members of the existing executive team. The Board intends to initiate a nationwide search immediately for a permanent CEO."

The full statement can be found here.

Wounded Warrior Project, founded in 2003, has its headquarters in Jacksonville.

The allegations surfaced in late January, when a CBS News investigation revealed lavish spending by the Wounded Warrior Project. Former employees claimed the charity wasted millions of dollars on 5-star hotels and alcohol.

A video of a man identified as the CEO — Steven Nardizzi — rappelling down the side of a hotel during a conference paid for by the charity.

Many of the allegations were reported by former employee Erick Millette, a wounded veteran who spoke of $2,500 bar tabs with money meant to help wounded veterans.

Millette quit the charity after working there for two years.

In January, CBS News revealed that the organization has a $500,000 surplus that sits in a reserve account while the organization was out asking for more donations.

Nardizzi had been the head of Wounded Warrior Project since 2009. CBS News' investigation said that spending under his leadership went from $1.7 million in 2010 to $26 million in 2014.

Nardizzi's salary was reported at nearly $500,000, which he defended by saying that his salary was less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the donations that come in.

Wounded Warrior Project defended itself publicly via spokesman Dan Nevins, a wounded warrior himself.

"Every dollar that comes in is used extremely wisely," Nevins said in January.

Cox Media Group