A former campaign committee treasurer who volunteered on Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)’s re-election committee was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion that he stole over $200,000 from Rorhrabacher’s campaign chest and embezzled more than $80,000 from a former employer.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jack Wenpo Wu, 45, was charged with three felony counts of grand theft by embezzlement, 21 felony counts of forgery, aggravated white-collar crime of more than $100,000 and property loss of more than $200,000 in addition to other charges.
Rohrabacher has served as a United States representative since 1989. In a press release about the investigation last year, he said “I am disappointed and dismayed by this betrayal of trust.”
If convicted, Wu faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and four months in state prison.
Wu has written freelance columns for the Orange County Register about local politics and even scolded several public officials for the very same thing he is now being accused of–i.e. misuse of public funds.
It is alleged that Wu used some of stolen campaign funds to repay his former employer. Wu reportedly embezzled over $80,000 from Russel Fischer Inc., a care company that he worked for as a financial controller, between June of 2012 and September of 2013. The Times notes that he was fired shortly after the discovery was made.
On Wu’s Twitter page, he described himself as “Kick ass for da Lord! Tax guy too.”
Wu had sent out the following tweet in June of last year. However, his Twitter handle has since been deleted, most likely due to his current circumstances.
Another day…another person refers to me as “Miss.” Time for a haircut yet?
— Jack Wu (@wubell) June 4, 2015
The Register notes that Wu is being held on $322,000 bail and is required to prove the money is from a legal source before posting bond.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.
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