As a forensic audit into a gift card scandal at the City of Richmond examines the past decade, and the RCMP say their own investigation is “active and ongoing,” the city’s chief administrative officer is attempting damage control.
Some believe it goes too far.
The city has confirmed that $295,000 worth of gift cards it bought in 2022, 2023 and 2024 are unaccounted for.
The scandal was exposed after Global News interviewed whistleblowers and examined nearly 500 pages of documents obtained under freedom of information laws.
Despite ongoing investigations, CAO Serena Lusk has emailed staff claiming “this matter appears at this time to be an isolated incident.”
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“I think meddling in this is just muddying the waters, and that’s not good for anybody,” Richmond City Councillor Carol Day told Global News.
“Better off to just everybody keep your opinions to yourself, let the police ask their questions, let the auditors ask their questions and let’s see what comes of it.”
Lusk also told staff in her email, “We all have a responsibility to identify and bring forward serious concerns about anything you see or hear that occurs in the workplace.”
Of note, the one person who has been fired worked in CAO Serena Lusk’s office.
The fired employee sent numerous questionable emails, which were contained in the FOI response.
Among them, “We need to order more. We need 75 keg asap. $50 value, bonuses on top. We also need 50 white spot asap $50 value, bonuses on top.”
Another email stated, “I know we just ordered but I think we need a different denomination of WS cards. Can you order 60x $100 cards excluding bonuses. Optically, I think it looks better if each restaurant card is in the same amount.”
Former Vancouver city councillor George Affleck also weighed in on the internal email.
“I thought it was too much information. It was too transparent in an ironic way because they’re going through a process right now.”
In an emailed response to questions from Global News, Richmond CAO Serena Lusk said, “We are not presupposing an outcome.”
“It is important that people have all the facts when known, and I will endeavour to make myself available when it is appropriate to do so,” she added.
She declined an interview.
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