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Fans of Jerry Seinfeld and Colin Quinn who are spending up to $342 a ticket to see the pair’s show tonight at The Theater at Madison Square Garden may think their cash is going to a good cause.
After all, the night of comedy is being promoted as “an evening to benefit the American Diabetes Association.”
The show is the latest in a long string of events put on by a 6-year-old group, Stand Up for a Cure, founded by Jordan Belkin.
Over the years, the Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, Brian Wilson and Barry Manilow have all performed at SUFAC events.
But the group recently lost its charitable status, The Post has learned, after Belkin failed to file financial reports in a timely manner.
Stand Up for a Cure is now a for-profit group. It has donated $100,000 worth of tickets to the ADA — and hopes to make money from selling the remaining ducats.
The charity can benefit by selling the tickets.
But don’t look for Belkin at the helm of the event tonight.
He is no longer involved with the organization — and the precise reason for the split is murky.
What has come to light recently is that Belkin, a former nurse, lost his state license in 2010 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor sexual abuse charge.
The Manhattan Criminal Court conviction in 2007 came at roughly the same time Belkin, 35, launched SUFAC, applied for tax-exempt status and appeared to be on the road to doing some good.
It was a nice turnaround after an earlier stumble. In 2002, a regulator suspended him as a registered broker for nine months for making “unsuitable recommendations.”
Belkin’s past troubles surfaced this week in letters and documents that were sent anonymously to Seinfeld, Quinn and the head of the ADA, copies of which were reviewed by The Post.
“I think that this is someone with a lot of time on their hands who is looking to smear my name,” Belkin said during an interview yesterday.
He said the reason he’s not producing SUFAC’s shows is money. The letters to Seinfeld and others referenced Belkin’s “financial troubles,” including unpaid debts. Indeed, Belkin was ordered by a court to cough up money to a group of musicians who had sued him for failing to pay them for performing at a concert.
The head of the ADA yesterday stood by the event, as did Joseph Shalom, the 28-year-old founder of Live Production Group, which is producing the show.
Both Shalom and the ADA said they knew nothing of Belkin’s past.
“Stand for a Cure has been an ongoing event, and we are happy that they have chosen the American Diabetes Association as one of their charity causes,” said a spokeswoman for the group.
“We are planning to move forward with the show as scheduled,” she said.
Representatives for Seinfeld and Quinn didn’t return requests for comment — and there is no indication that either comedian knew of Belkin’s past.
Shalom said he licensed the SUFAC name from Belkin for $100 last year. Belkin also connected him to Seinfeld and Quinn, who had worked with SUFAC before.
Both Belkin and Shalom said the former nurse is not otherwise making any money off the series.
Shalom defended the current for-profit structure.
“From what I know, we never advertised that we are a charitable organization,” said Shalom. “We underwrite the cost and take all the risk.”
“I would feel really terrible if this were to taint a positive event,” he added.