Coliseum Audit Under Way

Just a few months after county prosecutors began a criminal probe into the commission overseeing Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the state-owned stadium is back in the news following a recently launched audit.

Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel dispatched a team of auditors to go through the Coliseum’s books with a fine-tooth comb, according to the Los Angeles Times, after learning earlier this year that the Coliseum’s interim GM granted a 17 percent raise to the stadium’s finance director.

While the raise was reportedly rescinded, the incident seemed suspect to Greuel, who told the Times she intends to examine “everything from the car allowances to the salary increases to the gas cards.”

The ongoing criminal investigation might raise additional red flags for auditors.

Todd DeStefano, a former events manager at the Coliseum, was previously found to have earned at least $1.8 million through side deals with companies that did business with the commission.

But that wasn’t the end of it, according to documents obtained by the Times. A second manager was also found to have directed venue business through his own firm, and other managers with the money-losing Coliseum have allegedly received thousands of dollars in perks.

“Where are the checks and balances?” Greuel added. “How does this happen, and how can it be avoided in the future?”