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Go to Anaheim says pandemic aid funds have been correctly spent, gained’t give metropolis the cash again – Orange County Register

Go to Anaheim says it won’t pay again $1.5 million in pandemic aid funds that town of Anaheim stated appeared to have been inappropriately diverted.

Legal professionals representing the tourism bureau stated in a Wednesday, Nov. 22, letter to town that whereas Go to Anaheim did ship an Anaheim Chamber of Commerce nonprofit $1.5 million, the cash got here from the company’s working funds and wasn’t pandemic aid cash.

Town in 2020 gave Go to Anaheim $6.5 million to assist promote tourism restoration. Metropolis-hired investigators alleged that $1.5 million of that grant was surreptitiously diverted to a chamber nonprofit. Metropolis Legal professional Robert Fabela in August demanded that Go to Anaheim instantly return the $1.5 million.

Nonetheless, Go to Anaheim’s legal professionals stated the $6.5 million given by town in 2020 to assist promote tourism restoration was correctly spent, and they’re assured that the California State Auditor, who’s investigating how the tourism bureau has spent public funds, will show that.

“We see no foundation to require the return of any portion of this funding,” Go to Anaheim’s attorneys from the agency Larson LLP wrote within the letter.

Go to Anaheim’s response, stated metropolis spokesperson Mike Lyster, “falls in need of our request relating to the $1.5 million given the questions which have been raised.”

“We are going to proceed to overview the response and look to any course and subsequent steps from our Metropolis Council,” Lyster stated.

Former Mayor Harry Sidhu directed then-president and CEO of Go to Anaheim Jay Burress to divert the $1.5 million, in accordance with the city-hired investigators.

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