"Nearly $90,000 in cash was reportedly stolen from a fair employee in 2024 as they were trying to deposit it at an ATM around 2 a.m. The president of the fair's board later questioned why anyone would deposit money in a remote place at such an hour. The president was then removed from his post by the governor's office for speaking publicly about "an active investigation.""
"A 2019 state audit found that fair officials improperly spent more than $1,200 on alcohol in violation of state rules, overspent on hotels and allowed a manager to employ a close family member. A 2025 state audit found additional violations of the state's nepotism policy, along with in credit card charges without receipts, including $11,000 spent on food without a clear business purpose."
At least 26 county fairs across California experienced allegations and audit findings of financial misconduct, nepotism, improper spending, and mismanagement over the past decade. Incidents include large cash thefts, removal of officials linked to public comments about investigations, and failures to monitor employee credit-card use. State audits uncovered improper alcohol purchases, overspending on hotels, nepotism violations, and sizable undocumented credit-card charges, including $11,000 on food and more than $60,000 in unsupported charges. Other issues included a county paying rent to a nonprofit for county-owned property and vendor-foundation arrangements delivering gift cards to employees.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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