After more than 30 years on amfAR’s board — and 14 years as its chairman — Kenneth Cole has stepped down.
His departure from the AIDS research charity comes months after allegations surfaced that Cole may have been involved in a suspicious deal with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
“Although 14 years later, my term as chairman concludes, it has been a true privilege to have worked alongside so many talented, dedicated, committed individuals,” Cole said in a speech at last night’s amfAR gala in New York. “Being chairman of this great organization has been one of the most meaningful highlights of my professional career.”
The gala raised $1.6 million to support the organization’s fight against HIV/AIDS. To date, the organization has brought in more than $19 million.
“Though I am stepping aside, I am not stepping away from the mission to end AIDS,” Cole said in a statement, explaining that he and four other board members are bowing out after the amfAR board adopted term limits as part of governance reforms. He will assist in the selection of a new chairman as well as continue in his roles as an international goodwill ambassador on behalf of UNAIDS and as chairman of the End AIDS Coalition.
Last fall, more than 60 AIDS activists penned an open letter pressuring Cole to resign after reports claimed that in 2015, he and the media mogul diverted $600,000 in funds raised by the organization at a Cannes gala to pay back investors at the American Repertory Theater for staging a trial run of Weinstein passion project “Finding Neverland” before it opened on Broadway.
The scandal made headlines within the same month that Weinstein was fired from his production company after dozens of women came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment, assault or rape.
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