Fire agency hid $3.6 million from state

LA Times ^ | 1-25-13 | Jeff Gotlieb

[reagandemocrat]

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection hid $3.6 million rather than depositing it into the state's cash-strapped general fund as required, interviews and documents reviewed by The Times show.

For seven years, Cal Fire placed the money with the nonprofit California District Attorneys Assn., paying the group to hold it. The department used the cash for equipment purchases and training.

The practice ended last year amid questions about whether the fund was legal.

[reagandemocrat]

$3.6 million of stolen public money deposited into the District Attorney's Union account, for which the union was paid approximately $600,000 to manage. They never questioned the source nor legality of the funds. Think of the thousands of defendants whose money was sequestered, by DA's, for alleged criminal misconduct. Can you say Irony?

[DrDude]

Sounds like an illegal slush fund set up by Prosecutors Assoc. Someone should go to jail and the fund should be confiscated.

[YukonGreen]

Probably a smart move to hide it since the state politicians would spend that money in a day. Wait until the next big fire, no money in the hidden fund to fight it and Sacramento is broke.

[reagandemocrat]

And the lawyers union keeps the management fees.

[Vendome]

Effing A-holes. That’s or money you are playing with and you entrustedt manage it on our behalf, not horde it for your self serving avarice