LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The president of the Los Angeles firefighters’ union was suspended Monday over accusations of financial malpractice with union money.
Freddy Escobar, the president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, has been front and center since January’s fires in L.A. While saying the LAFD is severely understaffed, he’s been lobbying for more tax dollars for more firefighters.
The International Association of Fire Fighters, the parent union of UFLAC, is accusing him of grave “financial malpractice” with union money.
While Escobar has been president of the union, the IAFF says he spent more than $265,000 without proper documentation. In other words, there are no receipts proving that money was spent for official union business.
The IAFF also says their audit shows UFLAC’s former secretary – Adam Walker – transferred money from a union fund directly into a personal account also spent union money without supporting receipts.
UFLAC’s former treasurer – Domingo Albarran – is also accused of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of union cash without sharing receipts.
L.A. firefighters Monday received a letter from the IAFFF saying the following:
“In total, over $800,000 in credit card expenditures using your dues money cannot be properly accounted for. The leadership of UFLAC has abdicated its fiduciary responsibilities and placed Local 112 in ill repute. The financial malpractice by the leadership of UFLAC has dealt serious harm to the membership.”
Eyewitness News reached out to Escobar but has not yet heard back. However, he posted on his personal Instagram that denying the allegations.
“These false allegations are disgusting and politically motivated by those who want to attack the union and me personally and I’m going to clear my name,” Escobar wrote.
The IAFF says it started the audit into its local L.A. branch after the current UFLAC treasurer raised concerns.
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