LA Coliseum Commission suing 2 ex-managers

LOS ANGELES The suit alleges that former Coliseum General Manager Pat Lynch and former Events Manager Todd DeStefano defrauded the venue of more than $1 million in taxpayer money. However, commission attorney Charles Slyngstad said that amount is just "the floor."

"There's much more than that at stake," Slyngstad said.

The suit also names concert promoters Insomniac Inc and Go Ventures, alleging they conspired with Lynch and DeStefano to divert money from rave concerts that should have gone to the Coliseum.

Insomniac attorney Gary Kaufman said in a statement that he and the company have not been served with a copy of the lawsuit, but its business with the commission was always legitimate.

Questions have been raised about the Coliseum's fiscal oversight since the Los Angeles Times reported in a series of stories this year that DeStefano cut deals with companies doing business at the venue and collected at least $1.8 million dollars from them, and that Lynch transferred to himself ownership of a Cadillac that the commission had bought.

The lawsuit said a contractor gave Lynch nearly $400,000 that would have gone to the Coliseum.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.