In August 2010, Amy Goldson, counsel for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, said that Johnson violated organizational rules by awarding at least 15 scholarships to relatives of her own or to children of her district director, Rod Givens. The awards violated an anti-nepotism rule and the recipients also did not qualify for the scholarships because they were not residents of the Congresswoman's district as required. Johnson said she "unknowingly" made a mistake in awarding the grants and would work with the foundation to rectify it.