LA Firefighters Union Leaders Suspended for $800K Misuse

Top officials of the Los Angeles firefighters’ union were suspended and the union placed under conservatorship after a forensic audit uncovered over $800,000 in misused or undocumented credit card expenditures. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) suspended union President Freddy Escobar and others after finding that thousands of credit card transactions were inadequately documented, making it impossible to verify if the funds were spent legitimately. Escobar alone made nearly 2,000 transactions totaling over $311,000, with more than 70% lacking any supporting documentation. The audit also revealed that former union secretary Adam Walker transferred more than $80,000 from a union charity fund into his personal accounts, later using it for personal debts and casino withdrawals. Other union leaders were suspended for failing to enforce financial controls. Escobar has denied the allegations, claiming they are politically motivated and vowing to clear his name.