GLAAD’s Sarah Kate Ellis Under Fire After New York Times Investigation Into Spending, Expenses

GLAAD‘s Sarah Kate Ellis is under fire following an investigation published Thursday by The New York Times focused on her spending and expenses as the nonprofit’s long-serving president and CEO.

The piece details months of expense reports, lavish travel costs, a rental in popular summer vacation destination Provincetown, Massachusetts, and a home office renovation paid for by GLAAD, the country’s prominent media watchdog group that campaigns for fair treatment and coverage on behalf of the LGBTQ community.

Per the investigation, written by NYT reporter Emily Steel, Ellis spent nearly half a million dollars to rent a seven-bedroom chalet (with GLAAD staff) in Switzerland for a week while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos; billed back approximately $18,000 for a home office renovation at her Long Island home (an upgrade that reportedly included a new chandelier); and took more than 30 first-class flights over an 18-month period. GLAAD reportedly picked up a $60,000 tab (airfare and accommodations) for Ellis and the org’s COO Darra Gordon to attend the Cannes Lions advertising summit in France. Ellis also reportedly receives a salary in the high six figures.

Steel cites sources who claim Ellis’ spending is more aligned with what is considered commonplace at for-profit companies rather than a nonprofit organization and that some of the receipts could be in violation of IRS rules. “It appears she may have fallen into the trap of excess,” Michael West, a lawyer who advises charities at the New York Council of Nonprofits, told the Times.

GLAAD spokesperson Rich Ferraro is quoted defending Ellis by stating that many of her expenses — from travel and renovations to the summer rental — helped advance the organization’s mission or bring her closer to donors. He said the Davos trip was paid for through a donation by the Ariadne Getty Foundation, a longtime supporter of GLAAD.

“I take my role as GLAAD’s financial steward incredibly seriously, and we’ll continue updating our procedures to keep pace with the organization’s rapid growth,” Ellis said in a statement. “Our work has never been more urgent, because the LGBTQ community is under increasing attack.”

Ellis, who has held the post since 2014, re-upped with GLAAD in 2022 by signing a new contract that extends through 2027. Per the report, Ellis received a base salary of $441,000, with automatic 5 percent increases per year along with bonuses tied to fundraising, though she could receive anywhere from $700,000 to $1.3 million per year. GLAAD’s Ferraro told The Hollywood Reporter: “In practice, it is impossible for Ms. Ellis to receive $1 million in a year, and she has not received anything near that on this contract.” The sizable salary is attributed to how Ellis brought the organization back from the brink to becoming a philanthropic force with major sway in media circles and across the cultural landscape. (By 2022, she helped quadruple revenue to $19 million.)

The report also states that GLAAD’s CFO, Emily Plauché, flagged spending concerns to Liz Jenkins, a chairwoman for the organization’s board of directors. In turn, the board hired a law firm to investigate the claims. The firm, Sheppard Mullin, then recommended that GLAAD update its travel policies, which it did do. Plauché left the organization shortly thereafter.

“The board and I stand firmly behind Sarah Kate Ellis, with respect and appreciation for how she and her team are leading the movement at a time when our community is under attack. We have full confidence that they’re doing so with integrity and that they share the board’s commitment to irrefutably strong governance and business practices,” Jenkins said in a statement.

THR reached out to GLAAD for a response to the investigation and a spokesperson lashed out at the Times by addressing the fraught relationship between the two organizations. Since 2023, GLAAD has been a vocal critic of NYT‘s coverage of the LGBTQ community, focused specifically on its reporting of the transgender community. Ellis herself has been quoted with claims that the Times publishes “inaccurate, irresponsible” coverage of the trans community, ink that is then co-opted by conservative lawmakers causing further damage as it relates to access to health care and other services.

“It is disappointing but not surprising, especially at a time when LGBTQ violence and anti-LGBTQ legislation are growing, that the Times committed significant resources to spin a negative story about GLAAD by reporter Emily Steel, who last year signed a letter that criticized concerns from GLAAD and other LGBTQ leaders about coverage of transgender people in The New York Times,” says a GLAAD spokesperson. “The tabloid-esque article excludes much of our critical advocacy work and grossly mischaracterizes the organization, which consistently garners top marks from charity rating organizations. The Times should spend more time and resources bringing its coverage of transgender people up to par.”

A Times spokesperson has countered GLAAD’s claim regarding the letter: “The letter was not critical of GLAAD. It was signed by over 80 members of our newsroom opposed to the NewsGuild of New York engaging in or taking sides in public debates over internal editorial decisions at The Times. The letter stated: ‘Our duty is to be independent. We pursue the facts wherever they may lead. We are journalists, not activists. That line should be clear.’”

Regarding the publication of today’s article, the spokesperson also reported that the newspaper stands by its reporting. “This article was fair, accurate and based on objective information in GLAAD’s expense reports, employment contracts, tax filings and other documents. As far as we are aware, GLAAD has not challenged any of the facts in the article.”

Thursday, Aug. 1, 5 p.m.: Updated to include statements from The New York Times and to correct that the renovations were done in Ellis’ “home office.”