First CFO is fired after about five weeks, says he refused “off-budget” payments

Brett Mandel, a former deputy city controller, served as Sheriff Bilal’s first chief financial officer. He lasted about five weeks.

In a whistleblower lawsuit, Mandel said a member of the sheriff’s transition team handed him a folder describing “contract obligations to the sheriff’s allies and associates” and told him to pay those costs from off-budget funds — accounts outside the city’s budgeting process. He refused, questioned what he described as a “slush fund,” and was terminated. He said he was ushered out of the building.