GoFundMe Established for Disney SEC Whistleblower As Legal Battle Allegedly Takes Personal Toll

A GoFundMe has been established in the name of Sandra Kuba, the whistleblower who claimed that Disney had inflated their 2008-2009 financial records by $6 Billion USD.

The GoFundMe was set up following reports that her legal battle against the entertainment conglomerate has taken a devastating toll on her life.

Related: Former Disney Accountant Sandra Kuba Claims Company Inflated Revenue By Billions

According to Kuba, who first noticed the financial discrepancies in 2013, Disney had been falsely inflating their revenue reports by both recording complimentary guest experiences and gift card amounts exceeding what customers actually paid for as revenue.

As reported by Bounding Into Comics in 2019:

Kuba also reportedly claims Disney was manipulating gift card revenues. Instead of recording discounted gift cards that guests only paid $395 for, they would be recorded at the face value of $500. She also indicates that Disney employees would record gift card revenue twice. It would be recorded not only when guests purchased the gift card, but also when it was used to purchase items. In fact, much like the free guest promotions, if Disney gave a guest a gift card for free, it would be counted as revenue.

[…] In a separate filing, Kuba indicates Disney was also manipulating sales tax classifications. Disney employees were allegedly changing high sales tax items to lower tax items in order to reduce their sales tax liabilities in Florida, California, and Hawaii.

Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti Launches Investigation into Accounting Fraud Allegations Against Disney

Related: Former Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti Launches Investigation into Accounting Fraud Allegations Against Disney

Kuba alleges that she first brought these criminal misrepresentations to Disney management twice, once in 2013 and again in 2016, but the matter was ignored and quickly dropped, respectively.

Eventually, in 2017, Kuba filed an official complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was subsequently let go from her position at Disney a month later.

Related: Disney Fails in Attempt to Prevent Gender Discrimination and Pay Inequity Suit from Moving Forward

While Kuba initially alleged to the SEC that her firing was a form of retaliation for her whistle blowing, she later rescinded this allegation, though retained the right to resubmit it at a later time.

“The claims presented to us by this former employee — who was terminated for cause in 2017 — have been thoroughly reviewed by the company and found to be utterly without merit,” asserted a Disney spokesperson at the time of the SEC filing.

They added, “In fact, in 2018 she withdrew the claim she had filed challenging her termination. We’re not going to dignify her unsubstantiated assertions with further comment.”

Related: Report: New Disney Layoffs Described As “Bloodbath”

Though little has been heard of Kuba’s legal actions since 2019, the description of the newly opened GoFundMe, established on December 9th by supporter Jane Turner, recounts how her battle with Disney has taken a drastic toll on her life.

“The stress and strain of subsequent actions taken against Kuba after her termination,” wrote Turner, “resulted in the suicide of her husband of thirty years, Robert Kuba who died on March 9, 2020.”

Turner further explained that “Kuba is currently living with her son who is autistic, and continuing the battle against a corporate giant,” and that the raised funds “will allow Kuba and her son to pay household expenses and legal fees.”

Related: Disney To Lay Off 4,000 Additional Employees As COVID-19 Wreaks Havoc on Theme Parks

Kuba’s GoFundMe was also covered by YouTubers ClownFish TV, who described the situation as “very tragic” and noted that what it would take “a warrior with the balls to go toe to toe with Disney.”

As of writing, Kuba’s GoFundMe has raised just over $2,100 USD of its $20,000 USD goal.

What do you make of Kuba’s situation? Let us know your thoughts on social media or in the comments down below!

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