The Brief

A whistleblower is alleging wide-ranging misconduct by Anaheim’s top finance official — including enabling fraud that wastes millions of taxpayers dollars, lying to the city council and protecting a known sexual harasser.

In a tort claim filed in early July, former purchasing agent Kari Bouffard alleges she was wrongfully terminated for “engaging in protected whistleblower activity, reporting sexual assault and harassment, exposing procurement fraud, refusing to participate in unlawful contracting practices and addressing severe deficiencies that resulted in costly delays and exposed the city to continuous and significant risk.”

She alleges that Debbie Moreno, Anaheim’s finance director and city treasurer, “violated the public trust, abused her authority, disregarded City Council policies.”

The tort claim, obtained by LAist via a public records request, alleges that Moreno:

• Refused to audit the city’s credit card purchases, which amount to around $800,000 a month
• Covered up that the Fire & Rescue Department bought new ambulances and went to the Council after to seek approval
• Does not follow standard best practices for procurement — no member of the purchasing department had ever written a contract — and instead creates additional, unnecessary processes 
• Uses a policy from 1999 to lease computer hardware at inflated prices, bypassing Council approval 

All together, the tort claim paints a picture of a city’s procurement department that lacks processes or oversight controls — run totally ad hoc — resulting in the mismanagement of taxpayer dollars. And Bouffard alleges in the tort claim her repeated attempts to address issues were met with retaliation. She wrote that she felt like she was “being punished for simply trying to protect the city and ensure its actions complied with the law.”

LAist requested an interview with Moreno through Anaheim spokesperson Mike Lyster, who did not respond to that request.

As the city's top financial official, Moreno is tasked with administering a $2.4 billion budget. Anaheim, the most populous city in Orange County and home to Disneyland, Angels Stadium and Honda Center, has a history of financial scandals.

Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu at the Orange County Black History Parade, Feb. 5, 2022. Sidhu resigned in May 2022, a week after FBI documents revealed he was under federal investigation for an alleged quid pro quo scheme involving the now-canceled sale of Angel Stadium.

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Daniel Knighton

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Three years ago, a federal probe revealed a “cabal” of business and political leaders worked behind the scenes to exert influence over City Hall. Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu just served two months in federal prison for his role in the corruption scandal.

Bouffard’s tort claim comes at a time the city is contending with a $60 million budget shortfall.

LAist reached out to the city about the allegations in the tort claim, as well as discrepancies we found in records obtained via a public records request. LAist also asked the city about its oversight practices.

City spokesperson Lyster told LAist he would not comment on the specific allegations in Bouffard’s tort claim because they are part of an ongoing personnel matter.

“We take all workplace concerns seriously and adhere to high ethical and professional standards. The claims made are being evaluated and are from a former employee whose work with the city did not extend past probation,” Lyster said in a written statement. “But, in this case, the issues being raised are part of a personnel matter, with all the considerations that come with that. We want to be respectful of all involved, and discussion of personnel matters in the media would be inappropriate.”

Lyster did not dispute Bouffard’s claims. Instead, he wrote that the city welcomes a review of contracts and policies. LAist requested purchase orders, agreements, contracts and process documents related to the claims and found discrepancies that seem to back up Bouffard’s claims.

Lyster did not comment on the discrepancies LAist found in the purchase orders, agreements, contracts and processes obtained independent of the tort claim.

Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said in a text message that complaints like Bouffard's are taken seriously and investigated.

"If findings are made that can help up improve our processes and procedures, I welcome them," Aitken said.

When did the problems start?

Bouffard, a public servant of 28 years, whose experience includes a long stint at the County of Orange, started at the city of Anaheim in the summer of 2024.

Very soon, she began to notice a lack of processes and little oversight in how the department was run, she told LAist in an interview.

Formal contracts were not written, with neither the city nor vendor agreeing to terms and conditions or scopes of work. That was a “red flag,” she said. Contracts are commonplace in government as they help create a record trail to keep the city — and taxpayers — from being overcharged or billed by unscrupulous contractors.

Bouffard said conversations with other city departments convinced her the purchasing division at the city was in disarray and had been mismanaged for years.

Kari Bouffard, the whistleblower, alleging widespread mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.

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“ I saw all of this, though, as an opportunity to put better systems in place to restore accountability and support both the purchasing team and the departments that we serve,” Bouffard said.

In the tort claim, Bouffard alleges Moreno also created a “hostile work environment” by allowing sexual harassment and retaliation “to continue unchecked.” That section of the tort claim is heavily redacted, with details about the assault, names of employees and details of the investigation blacked out.

Bouffard was terminated in July, two days before her one-year probation period ended.

At her six-month performance review in June 2025 (six months after it was due), she wrote in the tort claim she was “awarded a 'Distinguished' rating and a 2% salary increase in recognition of my contributions” despite “an excessive and unsustainable workload” where she could not even take accrued time off.

Bouffard alleges in her tort claim that she was fired not because of poor performance but because her efforts to improve the procurement department bristled Moreno.

Urgent contract for ambulances already in hand 

A few months after she started at the city in 2024, Bouffard alleges in the tort claim Moreno asked her to draft an “urgent” contract to purchase ambulances for the city’s Fire & Rescue Department.

While working on the contract, Bouffard claims she discovered an email showing the ambulances already were procured and delivered.

Bouffard alleges Moreno prepared a staff report for the City Council that requested Council approval for the purchase.

Bouffard wrote: “Ms. Moreno not only misled me regarding the situation but also knowingly falsified the staff report presented to City Council, intentionally concealing the fire department’s unauthorized procurement and colluding to cover up the procurement violations.”

Bouffard alleges Moreno has a personal relationship with Fire Chief Patrick Russell and has shown favoritism toward his department.

Russell did not respond to a request for comment.

LAist asked the city in a public records request for all executed contracts, invoices, order forms and emails pertaining to the order of ambulances. The contract the city shared with us doesn't give any indication that council approved of the purchase before the fire department went out and bought them.

The contract does not show that the council approved the purchase of ambulances that the city already possessed.

Creating additional work for departments 

Bouffard alleges Moreno relied on “cumbersome” procurement processes while punishing Bouffard for trying to implement changes she said would save the city money.

When Bouffard arrived at the city, she told LAist, if a department needed to purchase goods or services, the purchasing team would ask them exactly how much was needed and then they would move forward with that purchase for the exact amount of what was requested.

This method, she said, is “cumbersome” and leads to higher prices for goods, wasting taxpayer dollars. Instead, she sought to implement bulk pricing and planning for future purchases so the city can negotiate better deals.

A city staff member heads into the Anaheim Council Chamber before an open session meeting at Anaheim City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025.

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These concerns would come to light with a contract for the police department.

When the police department wanted to purchase military equipment, with plans to buy more in the future, Bouffard developed a five-year purchasing agreement with a total amount not to exceed $3.75 million. This was contrary to the usual process used by the city, where purchases are made annually.

In the memo Bouffard drafted to explain her reasoning, she wrote, “Historically, many purchases throughout the city have been made reactively, often in response to urgent needs that arise during the fiscal year. While this method may provide quick relief, it frequently leads to higher costs, unpredictable budgeting and a greater risk of contract ratifications. These challenges highlight the need for a more proactive and structured approach to procurement — one that emphasizes planning, collaboration and long-term stability.”

The memo, which was sent to City Manager Jim Vanderpool, was ultimately stripped of Bouffard’s concerns.

She alleges Moreno and Deputy Finance Director Jean Ibalio excluded her from the rewrite process and dismissed her concerns because they were worried she would raise these process concerns with Vanderpool over “the broader lack of fiscal oversight.”

The city would eventually go without Bouffard’s recommendation for the contract. Instead, in the memo, Moreno wrote the Anaheim Police Department will have to get approval in the future for purchases already approved by the Council.

Ibalio and Vanderpool did not respond to requests to comment.

Circumventing competitive bidding

While Moreno had concerns about a long-term contract for the police department, it appears she promoted the use of a costly 25-year-old policy to purchase computer hardware for city staff.

In April, IT manager Ed Jin told Bouffard to renew a lease of around $4.5 million with Hewlett Packard for computer hardware, using a policy referred to as “1999.” Bouffard was concerned with the high spend for computer hardware and a conversation with the city’s IT admin analyst confirmed the lease was expensive. The per-staff, per-computer cost would amount to $5,000 with the lease. If the city did not renew the lease, the cost would be $1,800 per person.

Jin did not respond to a request for comment about the lease policy.

Other cities spend less on computers. Santa Ana, for example, told LAist the city purchases desktop computers for $850 and laptops for $1,425.

LAist requested the 1999 policy via a public records request. In 1999, the then-City Council approved a motion giving the purchasing agent — who until recently was Bouffard — the authority to issue purchase orders and execute lease agreements for computer equipment.

Bouffard alleges in the tort claim that this “outdated” policy is being used improperly to avoid soliciting competitive bids, pay in excess for hardware, obtain equipment without council approval and abuse evergreen clauses to avoid processes.

At four different occasions in May and June, according to the tort claim, Jin would “warn” Bouffard to use the policy to renew the lease, saying Moreno and Ibalio were upset.

“During each conversation, I communicated to Mr. Jin I am required to adhere to Council policy and follow the advice of our city attorneys. It was apparent Mr. Jin was under pressure to push me into violating Council policy,” Bouffard wrote.

Jin emailed Bouffard an “evergreen” contract, which Bouffard claims was an attempt to prove that an approved contract existed.

That contract was from 2002 with a company called Compaq, an organization that no longer exists and was acquired by HP.

In her tort claim, Bouffard said the evergreen contract originated prior to her employment with the city and had no expiration date. This “violates competitive bidding and circumvents Council approval protocols,” according to the claim.

Bouffard alleges the Anaheim IT team confirmed to her that the city had been leasing equipment through this process for at least a decade.

“ From my understanding, since 2006, the city of Anaheim has spent over $92 million on hardware and computers through the lease through HP Financial Services without seeking counsel approval,” Bouffard told LAist.

LAist asked the city of Anaheim how much it has spent on computer hardware using the 1999 policy, but we have not received an answer.

No oversight for credit card purchases

A big red flag for Bouffard when she came on board as the city’s purchasing agent was the lack of oversight into the city’s credit card spend: around $800,000 of public money every month.

“ When the departments want to get the purchases they need right away, if there were delays in the purchasing department, they would use those credit cards to get that done. That wasn't being audited,” Bouffard told LAist.

In her tort claim, Bouffard alleges she raised the lack of oversight with Moreno on several occasions but her solutions were “insufficient.”

And when Bouffard raised the concerns with the city’s audit team, which then wanted to audit the credit card program, she alleges Moreno told her: “Do not let them in the door.”

“I found her response unprofessional, dismissive and deeply concerning, particularly given her role as finance director and her responsibility to support accountability and internal controls,” Bouffard wrote.

LAist asked the city spokesperson if the credit card purchases have been audited in the past five years. We have not received an answer.

How to keep tabs on the Anaheim City Council

The Anaheim City Council meets on scheduled Tuesdays. The next meeting is Oct. 28. Meetings start at 5 p.m.

Here’s how you can follow along:

• Attend in person: The board meets at City Hall, Council Chambers, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd., First floor, Anaheim
• Watch the live broadcast
• Here’s how to submit a comment or contact the council

After a delay that has threatened plans for World Cup celebrations across the U.S., the federal government said this week that it's moving forward with awarding host cities including Los Angeles hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for security.

Host cities have been counting on the $625 million in federal funds, which were already allocated in last year's "One Big Beautiful Bill" for security costs related to putting on the global tournament.

L.A. will host eight matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a five-day fan festival at the Coliseum and watch parties and fan zones around the region – and those events will require additional police and resources to pull off.

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is responsible for allocating the funding to the 11 host city committees in the U.S. Last month, officials in Miami and Kansas City raised the alarm that they may need to cancel fan plans if the money didn't come through soon. Los Angeles officials declined to weigh in at the time.

In a statement provided to LAist, FEMA blamed the ongoing government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security for the delay.

"While the recent funding lapse temporarily slowed the grant process and impacted FEMA’s grants management system, DHS and FEMA have completed their review and approval of applications" the statement said. "Grants supporting host jurisdictions and security efforts will begin going out soon.”

But the saga's not over yet. Los Angeles and the Bay Area are still waiting on those grants, according to a statement from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, which is responsible for disbursing federal funds to the World Cup host committees in the state.

The money will be paid out as reimbursements – but organizers can't make plans to use the funds until they know what they've been awarded.

“Cal OES will continue pressing the federal government to announce the World Cup Grant Program awards so host city communities can plan responsibly and ensure the security resources needed for a global event like the World Cup are in place," a CalOES spokesperson told LAist via email.

LAist has asked FEMA, Cal OES and the L.A. host committee how much money they requested for security costs in Los Angeles, but has not received a response.

It's less than three months until the first World Cup match in the U.S. will kick off in Los Angeles on June 12.

In a cozy dance studio in Garden Grove, dancers of all experience levels, ages and backgrounds flock to Queer Latin Dance OC to learn the steps to salsa, cumbia and bachata.

For many, the dance class is more than educational — it’s a place to get away from it all, to find community and to uplift one another through art.

When Rodrigo Marquez founded Queer Latin Dance OC at the beginning of this year, he said he was filling a gap in Orange County that often lacks safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community.

“I wanted to make creative communities for us to learn in a safe environment,” Marquez said. “Everyone's here to learn, and I want the pressure of whatever's going on in the world, just to forget for the next hour.”

Queer Latin Dance OC meets three times a week to learn the steps to salsa, cumbia and bachata.

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What are the dance lessons like? 

When creating his teaching plan, Marquez said he considers the range of experience his students might have. Everybody starts somewhere, he added, and the hardest part is showing up.

“It is scary, but if you're already showing up, then just jump in and just forget about the world. It's a great distraction, and dancing makes you feel better,” Marquez said.

Philip Lee, an elementary school teacher from Tustin, took his first class with the group Monday night, trying the quick steps of salsa.

“I had a stressful day. … All my stress that I had in my neck and upper back just kind of went away,” Lee said, adding that the high energy in the room is infectious. “It was nice just laughing with people in the community and meeting new people.”

Lee said the dance lesson gave him a space to be with community.

“The queer community specifically, and just kind of let my guard down and just be free and laugh and enjoy being me and celebrated for a love for the arts,” Lee said. “That's not a space that is always safe.”

Before taking lessons at Queer Latin Dance OC, Melba Rivera said she came in with zero dance experience.

“You come as you are. No matter what level you're at or how you identify or what your experience is, everybody's here and everybody's learning,” Rivera said. “It's a very encouraging and motivating space.”

Salsa and bachata are social dances, Marquez said, but one thing that makes his class unique to many is that regardless of gender identity, anyone can follow or lead.

Typically, the lead falls to the male dancer, and women follow. Marquez said it was important that no one feels pressured to be one or the other.

“That's why I created this, so people like me can just come and learn, not be expected to be in a gender role based on how they look,” Marquez said. “They want to dance how they feel.”

Why it matters

Taryn Heiner said, especially in Orange County, it’s challenging to find spaces that are queer-friendly and queer-open.

“That's really what makes this space so kind and warm and welcoming,” Heiner said. “We have all that base understanding of respecting one another, no matter who they are, who they love and what they do.”

Growing up in Orange County, not every room you walk into is a safe space, Rivera added.

“So walking into a room like this, where everybody's friendly, everybody's learning, everybody's just here for the same purpose to get better, to support each other, is really important,” Rivera said. “Not just in the class, but [in] the friendships we make outside of the classroom.”

Outside of dance class, Marquez’s students meet up for monthly hikes and other get-togethers. Marquez said it is a privilege and an honor to bring people together through his love for dance.

“I've seen people become friends since January, and I see them practice outside of practice,” Marquez said. “I've always had a dream to do my own dance classes, but to do it in a way where people can connect and just be themselves. It's far greater than that.”

Queer Latin Dance OC offers lessons to dancers of all experience levels and has created a new community hub in Orange County.

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Destiny Torres

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LAist

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Want to dance? 

Salsa, cumbia and bachata classes are held three nights a week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Classes are $20 per session, but Marquez also offers a free beginner salsa class every Monday.

You can register for the class of your choice here. Payments are taken in person.

Border Patrol agents have been roving from city to city over the last 15 months, far from their home bases in California and elsewhere along the U.S.-Mexico border, engaged in an unprecedented mass deportation campaign.

A collaboration between CalMatters, Evident Media and Bellingcat has tracked these agents, documenting their tactics on the ground and through mountains of video footage, since their first proof-of-concept raid in Bakersfield in January 2025.

Exactly one year later, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renée Good in Minneapolis, followed weeks later by the killing of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent.

Our investigation shows that beyond those two shootings, immigration agents engaged in a pattern of force and questionable detention, aggressive tactics that courts have said likely violated the Constitution, as they moved from Bakersfield to Los Angeles, and then Chicago and Minneapolis.

In each city, federal courts stepped in to restrain them from violating civil liberties in that jurisdiction. Agents later deployed to another city. The video evidence suggests agents’ tactics became more brazen with each stop.

Under President Donald Trump, immigration agents have operated without typical public accountability. Many agents wear masks. Incident reports are largely hidden from the public.

“We are in a completely uncharted world now with these masked agents,” said John Roth, who served as inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security under Presidents Barack Obama and Trump.

“The first thing that you do when you give an agent a gun and a badge and the authority over American people is to make sure that they follow the Constitution, period,” he said.

In this new film, we focus on the activity of five agents from the US-Mexico border whose identities we’ve been able to confirm.

Watch the documentary

We are not aware of any disciplinary action taken against these agents. DHS did not respond to requests for comment; the individual agents either declined to comment or didn’t respond to calls or emails.

We showed the incidents to Roth and Steve Bunnell, former DHS general counsel. Both have testified before Congress, raising the alarm about what they see as a dismantling of the department’s accountability and credibility. Roth called the incidents “difficult to watch.”

“There are sort of two essential components of DHS and law enforcement generally being effective, and that’s trust and credibility,” Bunnell said. “And they have lost those things to the extent they had them.”