Los Angeles, California – The state of California has filed a sweeping lawsuit against the Foodbank of Southern California, accusing its leaders of misappropriating more than $11 million in public funds over the past decade to enrich themselves and their families.
The Long Beach-based nonprofit, which had operated for nearly 50 years as a key supplier of food to pantries across Long Beach and South Los Angeles, largely shut down in September 2024 after the California Department of Social Services halted all funding and California Highway Patrol agents raided the facility.
The lawsuit, filed March 25 and first reported by the Daily Journal, alleges that board members spent taxpayer money on personal luxuries including trips to Las Vegas, home renovations, electronics, a truck, and for-profit business ventures…