A California congressman is calling for a federal investigation into possible misuse of public funds in the City of Anaheim. The request was sent Wednesday, just weeks after a scathing report from the California State Auditor.
The Jan. 11 auditor’s report found Anaheim officials gave the city’s tourism bureau, Visit Anaheim, $6.5 million in pandemic relief money, despite the fact that Visit Anaheim had millions in the bank. Visit Anaheim then funneled the money to the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, which used the funds to get their preferred candidates elected to the city council and other offices.
“The audit found that the City’s lack of oversight misled Visit Anaheim to award $4.4 million in taxpayer dollars to the Chamber for unallowable services, including lobbying on proposed federal, state, and local legislation; meeting with elected officials; and supporting resort-friendly candidates through the Chamber’s political action committee,” Congressman Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney Gen. Merrick Garland and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Since some of the funds that were allegedly funneled to the Chamber were for COVID relief, Correa said it raises the possibility that federal funds were used unlawfully.
“I urgently request that you investigate whether any federal laws were broken by the City, Chamber, or Visit Anaheim,” Correa said.
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