WASHINGTON (AP) – Damon West was hoping the government’s coronavirus rescue package for small-business owners would help replace the income he’s lost now that he can’t travel the country as a keynote speaker.
But then he got a call from his accountant. A question on the application form asked whether, within the last five years, he had been convicted of or pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony or “been placed on any form of parole or probation.” Another asked whether anyone who owns at least 20% of the company was incarcerated, under indictment or on probation or parole. If so, they are ineligible.
It was a gut punch for West. In 2009, he was sentenced to life in prison but made parole in 2015 and now works as an author, teacher and speaker, visiting schools and correctional facilities to talk about how he turned his life around.
“You go and you pay your debt, and you’re still paying your bill,” he said.
The Paycheck Protection Program, which already doled out $350 billion and is now awaiting another cash infusion, is supposed to be a lifeline for businesses teetering on the edge, helping them stay afloat and keep their employees on the payroll during the pandemic. Independent contractors and the self-employed also qualify. But not, it turns out, if they have had certain run-ins with the law.