A former treasurer for U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s campaign was arrested at his home Tuesday, Feb. 2, and accused of embezzling over $300,000 from campaign coffers and from a business where he previously worked.
Arraignment of Jack Wenpo Wu, 45, of Newport Beach, was postponed until Tuesday, March 8, on 72 criminal charges, including felony counts for grand theft by embezzlement and forgery, according to Orange County court records.
Wu, a former political columnist for the Newport Beach Independent and other papers, was appointed to serve on the city of Newport’s finance committee early in 2015 by City Council member Marshall “Duffy” Duffield. Wu stepped down from the group in July after he was fired by Rohrabacher’s campaign after the campaign manager discovered $170,000 missing from accounts, according to Deputy District Attorney Marc Labreche. The campaign where Wu volunteered for seven years as treasurer was managed by the congressman’s wife, Rhonda, which collected contributions of $801,571 in 2014, a 14-year peak, according to opensecrets.org, which tracks political fundraising.
“It’s shocking,” said Sacramento attorney Charles H. Bell Jr., the campaign’s counsel, who described the discovery as “a crime, but also a breach of trust” by a friend. “They were actively misled,” said Bell.
The Republican congressman from Huntington Beach represents the 48th District, which spans Seal Beach to Laguna Beach. The campaign has since hired a professional treasurer with expertise in campaign reporting requirements, Bell said.
The prosecutor accuses Wu of allegedly siphoning over $238,000 from the candidate’s accounts and using some funds to repay restitution to his former employer, whom the prosecutor alleges Wu also ripped off.
Wu worked as a $70,000-a-year controller for Russell Fischer Inc., a seven-shop car wash chain based in Huntington Beach. In 2012, Wu’s pay was cut and he became an independent contractor, Labreche said. Wu continued to have access to RFI’s bank account and for 15 months continued to receive payroll checks for his original salary while also collecting unauthorized independent contractors pay amounting to $83,000, the prosecutor said. When the theft was uncovered by RFI in September 2013 Wu was fired, said Labreche, who speculated authorities were not notified because Wu agreed to repay the losses. The company’s principal, Chase Russell, did not return calls seeking comment.
Wu is accused of making restitution payments to RFI from late 2013 and 2014 by taking campaign funds “based on our forensic accounting,” according to Labreche, which he described as an analysis of bank records from the car wash chain and the campaign. “That’s why it took so long,” said Labreche, referring to the nine months since Rohrabacher’s campaign turned over information to prosecutors.
Wu, who remained in custody Wednesday, could not be reached for comment. He owned the Costa Mesa accounting firm Wubell Services Inc. Its phone has been disconnected and the Secretary of State suspended Wubell’s corporate status in 1999. Wu’s resume lists financial jobs with five different local companies since 2002, though he does not hold a certified public accountant license. He studied social ecology and teaching at UC Irvine and the University of Hawaii, respectively.
If convicted, Wu faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and four months in state prison in part due to sentencing enhancement allegations for theft exceeding $100,000. He remained in Central Jail in Santa Ana as of Thursday, Feb. 4, though his bail had been reduced.
Oh My. did it ruffle Peotter’s feathers to be associated or perhaps helping old Jack get appointed by Duffy? Does anyone really think Duffy does anything on council without being told? Come on…Muldoon has to rattle his head to remind him to vote!.