Source: Builders Exchange votes to fire councilman as accountant
| Tuesday, Sep 08 2009 07:41 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Sep 08 2009 07:43 PM
In the unfolding drama at the Kern County Builders Exchange, the agency board has voted to fire Bakersfield City Councilman Ken Weir as its accountant for not catching what has become suspected embezzlement to the tune of $800,000, a knowledgeable source said.
A source inside the Exchange said the board did not think Weir was knowingly involved in any wrongdoing but was concerned he hadn't caught accounting anomalies.
"The consensus was 'Hey, where was Ken Weir?'" said the source, who didn't want to be named because of the sensitive nature of the subject.
The source did not know whether Weir has actually been fired yet; the source said another accountant has been brought in to look at the agency books.
Weir had no comment on the matter.
"The Builders Exchange is a private organization and it's their decision to make or not make public statements about their organization," Weir said in an e-mail. "It is against our firm policy to discuss client affairs."
Weir's status at the Exchange is noteworthy not only because of the investigation but because it is one of the clients that in 2008 was a single source of income for his firm of at least $10,000, according to the statement of economic interests he filed in March.
Elected officials such as Weir must disclose such clients annually.
Also Tuesday, Detective Mary DeGeare said the Bakersfield Police Department has opened an embezzlement investigation of the Builders Exchange. The department took a report on the matter Sept. 3 and assigned an investigator to it Tuesday, she said.
DeGeare would not name any specific targets of the investigation. Last week, Exchange board member Tony Marion said the agency had fired Executive Manager Philip Field and secretary Darlene OCampo and launched an internal investigation.
Field did not return calls seeking comment last week and Tuesday; Ocampo declined to comment last week and couldn't be reached Tuesday.
The source inside the Exchange said the suspected embezzlement may have reached upwards of $800,000. DeGeare would not confirm any such numbers.
The Exchange is a nonprofit association of general contractors, subcontractors, engineers, architects, manufacturers, suppliers and others in the construction industry, according to its Web site.
Its purpose is to "enhance professionalism and educate its members" and provide "programs, facilities, equipment and supplies for use by its members for a fee," according to its 2008 nonprofit tax filing.
The filing shows Builders Exchange had net assets of $1.74 million at the end of the year.
