The former top officer of the Los Angeles Fire Department labor union is facing an internal investigation into allegations that he is engaged in financial fraud, including a union charity for injured firefighters, which has been removed from his post and uses $5,000 for personal expenses.
Late last year, the International Firefighters Association suspended Adam Walker from the influential office of United Firefighters in Los Angeles, accusing him of improperly depositing charity funds from December 2022 to December 2024 to January 2024 in his personal account.
Walker told the Times that the allegations were false. He said the account he drew was not for the charity UFLAC Fire Foundation, but was set up for two golf tournaments to raise money for former firefighters with disabilities. All deposits were a refund of the tournament’s legitimate out-of-pocket costs, Walker said.
“A penny of the money wasn’t foundation money,” he added. He said he understood that the deposit “unappealing” reflects his “poor bookkeeping.”
Walker, who continues his job as a firefighter, said he provided IAFF with receipts for all expenses. The Times asked him for a copy of the receipt, especially for greater expenses, and he sent a screenshot that totaled just over $17,000.
The Washington, DC-based IAFF is the parent organization of UFLACs and other local firefighters’ unions across the country. He also suspended Walker from his position as a research-savvy record and foundation chair and director. UFLAC Website Foundation AIDS says the injured firefighters and their families are offering scholarships to help firefighters who lost their homes in the January fire.
A spokesman for the IAFF said in a statement: … The IAFF has launched an independent forensic audit to thoroughly investigate the situation. We will take appropriate measures as necessary. ”
Those with knowledge of the investigation said the IAFF is also considering UFLAC’s finances, including the use of union credit cards by executives. Once the IAFF completes the review, he said he will decide whether to place the UFLAC under the trustee.
UFLAC president Freddie Escobar, who is also the foundation’s chairman, refused to be interviewed or answered a series of questions from the era, including an IAFF review of the local coalition’s finances.
In an email, Escobar said: “There are no comments on the allegations against Adam Walker. This issue is currently under review and everyone is owing a legitimate process.”
The UFLAC could become a political force in the city. This is because the elected officials appreciate their support and financial contributions.
The disclosure of the allegations filed by the IAFF late last year against Walker comes as Escobar and other UFLAC leaders criticized Mayor Karen Bass for firing LAFD chief Christine Crawley last month. The bus said Crawley was not properly prepared for the January 7th fire.
Crawley’s shooting followed an investigation into the decision not to bring 1,000 firefighters to serve in the hours before the flames broke out, and in spite of warnings of life-threatening fire weather, one of the dozens of extra fire trucks available was not to be deployed in advance to Pallisard. Escobar and other UFLAC officials failed to persuade the city council on Tuesday to revive Crawley.
The IAFF accused Walker of embezzlement, theft, violation of fiduciary duty and other misconduct. This is an administrative allegation within the union, not a criminal complaint, IAFF records show.
A union hearing on the charges is pending and a committee of IAFF officers has been set up to decide whether Walker will be brought to union trial. If he is convicted of whistleblowing, he will be permanently banned from membership in the coalition and, according to someone close to the investigation, he could be ordered to pay compensation from the foundation.
The Walker’s amount being accused of being inappropriately withdrawn or misunderstood represents a significant portion of the UFLAC Fire Foundation’s assets. This totaled around $287,000 for the 2022-23 period, the most recent period when federal tax returns are available.
The allegations against Walker were spelled out in two letters sent to him by the IAFF in November and December, with Edward Kelly, the association’s general president, not responding to requests for interviews.
In the letter, Walker is accused of withdrawing more than $75,000 from the foundation’s devastating fund and putting it in his account without approval by the foundation’s board of directors. The $5,000 accused of using it for personal expenses was deposited into an account in January 2024, according to a letter that does not specifically explain the costs.
Walker told the Times he plans to spend $5,000 as a down payment to the golf course for his third tournament. He said he didn’t use it for personal expenses.
Among the pedestrian costs allegedly incurred without approval from the Foundation Committee, “$2,400 and Visa Gift Cards for the staff, members and their members supporting its membership and their members, calling IFLAC Local 112.
Overall, the IAFF accused Walker of using foundation credit cards to make 57 purchases at numerous retailers, including 7-Eleven, Amazon and Dick sports equipment. The November letter stated that “we were unable to provide receipts to establish that many of these purchases are legitimate foundations or other business purposes.”
Walker also used a credit card to purchase tires for personal vehicles and is being criticized without refunding the foundation until more than four months later they are asked about the purchase, the letter said.
Additionally, the IAFF alleged that Walker used the Foundation credit card to purchase nearly $1,300 in gasoline in a dozen individual transactions “without receipts or explanations for the purpose of the purchase.”
Walker said that gift cards and other purchases are all legitimate foundational purposes. He used the foundation’s credit card and bought gas as he drove a personal car in the foundation business, rather than accidentally purchasing tires instead of a personal credit card.
