Ex-Rohrabacher aide accused of embezzling campaign funds quits Newport finance committee

A longtime Orange County Republican Party loyalist stepped down from the Newport Beach Finance Committee this week on the heels of allegations that he stole money from U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher while working as his campaign treasurer.

Jack Wu was appointed in January to the finance committee, an advisory body to the City Council on budget issues. His selection by Councilman Marshall “Duffy” Duffield was confirmed by the council during a public meeting.

Wu, 44, of Newport Beach, emailed Duffield on Tuesday to let him know he would resign from the committee, which is made up of three council members and four other residents. The committee does not have access to city accounts, a city spokeswoman said.

Wu, who owns Costa Mesa accounting firm Wubell, was Rohrabacher’s treasurer for seven years. The Republican congressman from Costa Mesa fired Wu in May after finding $187 in an account that was supposed to contain about $185,000, according to Rohrabacher’s attorney, Charles Bell.

Rohrabacher circulated a news release June 22 contending that Wu had admitted stealing about $173,500 from Rohrabacher’s reelection campaign fund.

The congressman’s team, which is conducting an audit of the account, reported its initial findings to the California attorney general’s office and the Orange County district attorney’s office. Criminal charges have not been filed.

“The [campaign] committee also demanded immediate, full restitution, and Mr. Wu promised to do so, but as of this date has failed to do so,” Bell wrote in the release.

Wu has not responded to requests for comment. Bell could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Duffield said Wednesday that he’s shocked by the allegations against Wu.

“He’s the last guy I would ever think would do something like that,” Duffield said. “I hope he can make restitution and move on.”

Wu filed for personal bankruptcy in 1996, according to court documents.

He ran unsuccessfully for various public offices in the past two decades. He entered the race for Irvine City Council in 1998, the Irvine Ranch Water District board in 2002 and the Newport Beach City Council in 2006, when he was defeated by Mike Henn by about 3,000 votes, county documents show.

Wu has written columns about local politics for the Daily Pilot, the Newport Beach Independent and, most recently, the Orange County Register.

He also was a panelist for Feet to the Fire forums, which feature candidates running for local political office.