Private Facebook Page Raises Questions About Nonprofit’s Political Use

24 September 2025

Share this article

Following the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors’ recent approval of a $10,745 grant to the nonprofit managed by former political candidate Rosario Arulappan, questions are now being raised about whether taxpayer funds are being used for political purposes.


An investigation by Transparent Tracy has uncovered that Arulappan’s nonprofit organization may be involved in political campaigning activities.


You can read more about this discovery here.

Under the Internal Revenue Code, all organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) are strictly prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of or against any candidate for elective public office. This ban applies at the federal, state, and local levels. Violations can lead to loss of tax-exempt status and financial penalties.


Despite these restrictions, Arulappan used his nonprofit’s Facebook and Instagram accounts to promote political candidates, including himself.


Transparent Tracy obtained screenshots of Instagram posts that demonstrate direct involvement in electoral politics, raising concerns about whether the organization has maintained its required nonpartisan status.

Further investigation uncovered that the nonprofit is operating two separate Facebook accounts – one public and one private.


The private page, recently reviewed, showed a name change as recently as September 23, 2025, just six days after our initial story broke.


At one point, the page’s name was briefly switched to 'Patrick Rosario' before being reverted, suggesting a possible effort to present a more 'Americanized' identity ahead of future political campaigns.

The nonprofit’s public Facebook account can be found here .

The nonprofit’s private Facebook account can be found here .

The existence of both public and private accounts, coupled with the documented political activity, raises serious questions about transparency and accountability.

Taxpayers deserve to know whether public funds provided through the County grant are being used in compliance with federal law. Arulappan should make his private Facebook page public to reassure residents that his nonprofit is operating responsibly and in compliance with the law.

Ultimately, the findings reveal a troubling conflict: while nonprofits play vital roles in the community, they must operate within clear legal boundaries.
The situation highlights the need for stricter oversight to ensure that taxpayer-funded organizations do not use their resources to promote political agendas.

Recent Posts

30 September 2025
Freitas has a duty to protect the public from people providing professional services to the public when those people are not properly licensed.
17 September 2025
Rosario Patrick Arulappan used his charitable nonprofit, Tracy REACH, to engage in political activity during the November 2024 Election.
11 September 2025
The charges filed by the State Bar of California hold potentially significant consequences for Tracy’s disgraced former City Attorney, Bijal Patel.
29 July 2025
It’s not too often that we get the opportunity to brag about our local news blog.
3 July 2025
In late June, the State Bar of California filed formal disciplinary charges in the State Bar Court against Bijal M Patel, the former but still embattled Tracy City Attorney.
30 April 2025
Alice English should not be a Planning Commissioner.
25 March 2025
The City of Tracy has released a Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR) for the proposed Schulte Road Warehouse project, and community feedback is encouraged.
20 March 2025
The younger Villapudua brother isn’t the only family member capable of generating headlines and creating controversies.
11 March 2025
Stockton Councilman Brando Villapadua, the brother of former Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua, is the latest Villapudua who cannot stay out of the headlines.
28 February 2025
It’s official: Eleassia Davis is bailing on Tracy for greener pastures.
Show More