Sunstone Way Undergoes Routine—but Well-Timed—Investigation by Multnomah County

Multnomah County’s Fiscal Compliance Unit is conducting a routine three-year review of Sunstone Way, a nonprofit shelter provider operating six shelters in the Portland area, following a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former finance director Kate Fulton alleging excessive spending on office space, staff retreats, and a $210,000 overbilling by another nonprofit. The review, already scheduled before Fulton’s February 12 complaint, examines internal controls and expense validity at an organization with a history of accounting issues, including a 2022 overbilling of Multnomah County by $525,000. County auditors visited Sunstone Way this week as part of the ongoing investigation, though the nonprofit claims the review has been completed on their end.