Suspended LA firefighters' union boss responds to financial malpractice accusations (2025)

The Los Angeles firefighters' union boss suspended over allegations of financial malpractice said Friday that he has receipts and other documentation that counter accusations that led to action by the national fire union.

The powerful union that represents LA City Fire Department firefighters was placed in conservatorship Monday by the national umbrella association, which announced in an open letter to firefighters that a forensic audit had uncovered a massive misuse of union funds by the union's leaders. The International Association of Fire Fighters said it also voted to suspend UFLAC president Freddy Escobar and two other union leaders.

Speaking at a news conference Friday morning, Escobar said he planned to send receipts and other documentation to national union leaders for review. Escobar displayed stacks of papers and a thumb drive that he said show how much money was spent under his leadership at the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City.

"I've compiled years of documentations, over 1,500 receipts, minutes, explanations of my expenses," Escobar said. "They're all right here.

"For seven years, I fought hard to improve our members pay and benefits. I always acted in good faith for members, never for personal gain."

The IAFF letter said auditors examined union accounts between 2018 and 2024 and found Escobar had made 1,372 credit card transactions totaling $230,465.67 that had no supporting documentation.

"The leadership of UFLAC has abdicated its fiduciary responsibilities and placed Local 112 in ill repute," the letter said. "The financial malpractice by the leadership of UFLAC has dealt serious harm to the membership."

"The auditors could not ascertain the purpose of these transactions," the letter said, and after issuing warnings to UFLAC in 2024 Escobar spent $71,671.44, "without submitting a single receipt for any of those 339 expenditures."

Escobar denied the accusations.

"I 100% deny any misuse of union funds or personal misconduct," Escobar said. "The IAFF leveled serious allegations against me without ever giving me a fair or full chance to respond."

IAFF said it discovered a number of other discrepancies and unexplained expenditures that totaled more than $800,000, and said it had appointed a conservator to seize control of the union's accounts.

"This conservatorship is necessary to restore responsible financial stewardship," IAFF said.

The letter said the audit also found two former union officials had together spent more than $500,000 on union credit cards with no or partial documentation.

The IAFF said Friday that the investigation into potential questionable finances was initiated by the union's treasurer with Escobar's full knowledge. Escobar had been asked repeatedly to "fulfill his fiduciary duties," the IAFF said.

"An investigation by the IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer's Office into potential financial improprieties with the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC) was initiated at the request of UFLAC’s treasurer and with the full knowledge of Freddy Escobar," the IAFF said in its statement. "That investigation, as well as a review of UFLAC’s Fiscal Year 2023 audit done by Calibre CPA Group, revealed serious deficiencies in expense reconciliation and record-keeping practices – including by Mr. Escobar. These deficiencies violated both UFLAC’s own policies and Internal Revenue Service requirements. This audit report was presented to UFLAC’s Executive Board in March 2024, including then-President Escobar.

"Between the March 2024 presentation, and as recently as last month, Mr. Escobar was repeatedly urged – in written communication and face-to-face meetings – to fulfill his fiduciary duties to the members of Local 112 and submit proper documentation for all expenditures. Despite this, the forensic audit, issued in May 2025, confirmed serious deficiencies in Mr. Escobar’s expense reconciliation and record-keeping practices between 2018-2024."

NBCLA reached out to Mayor Karen Bass' office for comment.

"My office is not involved in investigating Freddy Escobar," Mayor Bass' office said. "That is an internal matter to the union. It does not involved the city and so we will see how it all turns out."