Cal Fire chief gave $100,000 contract to wife’s family’s business, audit says

A Cal Fire battalion chief gave a $100,000 construction contract to his wife’s family, violating state rules, according to an audit report.

The report doesn’t identify the chief. It says he cut corners including not notifying the Department of General Services about the contract, not advertising the bid opportunity and not including provisions to protect the state’s interests, according to a California State Auditor’s report.

Two higher-ranking assistant chiefs knew about the battalion chief’s relationship with the company but didn’t intervene, according to the audit.

One of the assistant chiefs told auditors he thought that since Cal Fire had contracted with the company before the battalion chief was involved, the relationship wasn’t improper.

The auditor, with help from the state Human Resources Department and the State Personnel Board, determined it was still improper.

The audit doesn’t say when the events took place. It’s included in a report on investigations the auditor’s office completed between January and June of 2020, but that doesn’t mean the events took place in that six-month window.

The auditor publishes a report detailing improper activities of state government agencies and employees twice a year under the California Whistleblower Protection Act.

All three of the chiefs have retired or resigned, the audit says. At the auditor’s recommendation, Cal Fire agreed to place notices of investigations in their files and to strengthen training around state contracting.

This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 5:30 AM.