Man Arrested on Suspicion of Embezzling from Seal Beach Congressman

A former volunteer treasurer for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, was arrested today on a warrant alleging he embezzled more than $300,000 from the congressman’s campaign and a former employer.

Jack Wenpo Wu, 45, of Newport Beach, was arrested at his home, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Marc Labreche.

Wu began volunteering as treasurer for Rohrabacher’s re-election committee in 2004. His duties included paying taxes, filing Federal Election committee reports and overseeing the campaign’s bank accounts.

Wu is also accused of embezzling from Russell Fischer Inc., a firm that hired him as a controller in 2008. Wu was earning $70,000 annually at that job until March 30, 2012, when he became an independent contractor earning $1,000 monthly, Labreche said.

Wu allegedly set it up so he could keep collecting his annual salary as well as the independent contractor pay. From June 2012 to September 2013, Wu collected $71,000 in pay not owed to him, Labreche alleged.

Wu also allegedly collected an additional $12,000 in payments from the firm in the summer of 2013, Labreche said. Russell Fischer Inc. fired Wu in September 2013, when the alleged embezzlement was discovered, but he agreed to pay it back, Labreche said.

Wu allegedly siphoned off money from Rohrabacher’s committee to pay back the money to RFI, Labreche said.

The alleged embezzlement from Rohrabacher’s coffers came to light when his wife, who is also his campaign manager, tried to pay a bill with a debit card and was told there wasn’t enough money in the account, Labreche said.

In June, Rohrabacher’s campaign committee filed a complaint with prosecutors about the alleged embezzlement. Attorney Charles Herbert Bell Jr. told City News Service then that when the lawmaker’s wife called the bank about the rejected charge, she was informed there was $187 in the campaign’s account.

In all, Wu is accused of unlawfully taking about $238,000 from Rohrabacher’s campaign committee.

Wu, who’s being held in lieu of $322,000 bail pending arraignment on Wednesday, faces up to 20 years and four months in prison if convicted as charged, Labreche said.

City News Service