BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – A charity created by Mayor Larry Langford in 2000 to provide computers to children is facing questions about how it spent more than $1 million in tax money, some of which went to a gay porn star.

The Birmingham News reported Feb. 19 that court records indicate that money intended for the program also went to pay for trips, personal credit card bills, vehicle expenses, restaurant bills and casino tabs.

The questions come as Langford, who took office as mayor last year, pushes a new charity to provide computers to Birmigham-area schoolchildren. A key figure in both the new charity and the first one is John Katopodis, a Langford friend and businessman.

Katopodis, who is organizing the mayor’s new computer initiative, faces questions in a civil lawsuit filed by HealthSouth Corp. and in federal subpoenas about how he managed Langford’s first computer charity when Langford was mayor of Fairfield.

HealthSouth, which donated money and computers while headed by CEO Richard Scrushy, who later was fired in an accounting fraud, questions why the charity gave Langford money, paid for casino trips and handed out donated computers to Katopodis’ friends and politicians.

Documents show $30,000 went to actor Marc Anthony Donais, who was known as Ryan Idol when he was a star in the gay porn industry in the 1990s.

Katopodis has denied misusing the money and computers given to the charity. Court documents show that Katopodis said in sworn testimony the actor received $5,000 from the computer charity and $25,000 from the Council of Cooperating Governments, which Katopodis headed.

Besides being a porn star, Donais is a businessman who worked for the charity and fixed computers despite lacking any formal training in the area, Katopodis said.

“He, as I say, helped us, he traveled helping to try to set up computer programs in other areas among disadvantaged communities,” Katopodis said.

Reached by telephone on Tuesday, the actor referred questions to Katopodis.

“I’ve had injuries over the years and I’m not at my full faculties,” said Donais. “If there are any questions about it you need to talk to John.”

Donais was severely injured in a fall from an apartment window in New York in 1998, two years before the creation of the computer charity.

Katopodis could not be reached for comment, and a spokeswoman for Langford did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Documents show that a HealthSouth attorney during sworn testimony asked Langford if it would concern him to learn that the computer charity’s money was “being used to pay a pornographic star.”

“Pay what?” Langford asked.

“A pornographic star,” the lawyer responded.

“I’d have to learn more about what you’re talking about,” Langford said.

Katopodis has denied misusing money and computers given to the charity, and has filed responses in the lawsuit arguing that HealthSouth is attacking him because of claims he has made against the company.

HealthSouth, which had paid more than $200,000 to Katopodis and nonprofit programs he managed, accused him of transferring at least $170,000 from the computer charity’s bank account to Council of Cooperating Governments.

HealthSouth, which also donated thousands of dollars worth of computers, made the claims against Katopodis months after he sued the company in 2005 for property he said Scrushy promised to donate before Scrushy was fired.

Langford is currently purusing a nearly $3 million plan to provide Birmingham schoolchildren with 15,000 basic laptop computers originally intended for students in third-world countries.