Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/hagen-streiff-newton-oshiro/)
A firm that conducted two separate Great Park audits — and came under fire from two state officials over the audits — surrendered its accounting license Monday after a settlement with the State Board of Accountancy.
Board of Accountancy Executive Officer Patti Bowers beefed up a 2018 complaint against the Great Park auditors in an attempt to have the Board of Accountancy revoke the licenses of the auditors for mismanagement of two park audits.
A video produced by Gafcon, the San Diego-based firm targeted by forensic auditors examining the finances of Irvine’s Great Park, claims the auditors’ findings are false and/or misleading.
In the newest twist of the ongoing Great Park investigation, Stu Mollrich, who heads the park’s now infamous former public relations consulting firm, is defying auditor’s demands for the company’s overhead, employee salaries and profit margins.
A deposition of the former CEO of Irvine’s Great Park reveals how the county’s largest public works project was run by Councilman Larry Agran and his cadre of highly paid consultants.
The public relations firm, which is a target of a forensic investigation commissioned by the city of Irvine, submitted a Public Records Act request for records related to the probe.
Public relations firm Forde & Mollrich and landscape architect Mia Lehrer were issued subpoenas earlier this month demanding they turn over thousands of records to the city’s forensic auditor.
A forensic audit of Great Park contract compliance is now a full-blown investigation as the council OKs subpoenas to compel contractors to speak.
Auditors say their investigation was hamstrung by officials who refused to speak with them.