Freddy Escobar, standing on the sidewalk outside his former workplace, waving a green thumb drive and a pile of paper, said that would clear his name.

The president of Los Angeles City United Firefighters said he has been unable to enter the office where he works since 2018. He said the union's parent company organization has changed the lock to a building's lock and changed the door code to a parking lot.

He called his evidence with a doorbell, including a photo of the receipt, to refute allegations that he did not record many credit card purchases. But there is no answer.

"Wow," he said. Escobar closed his eyes as he turned to face the news camera. “The organization that I would have died didn’t give me the opportunity to introduce them to what they were looking for.”

Four days after the International Association, the dramatic scene unfolds outside the union office in the historic Philippine town on Friday morning. Firefighters suspended financial misconduct by Escobar and two other union officials, including "serious problems" and lack of receipts.

An spokesman said the IAFF also placed UFLAC on the protection side, the first time for any local firefighter union under the responsibility of the Washington, D.C. organization. The unprecedented move follows reports on the IAFF's financial audit and massive overtime pay to Escobar and other union officials.

IAFF President Edward Kelly disclosed the results of the audit in a letter from UFLAC members unanimously.

From July 2018 to November 2024, Escobar launched 1,957 transactions on his UFLAC credit card, totaling $311,498, the letter said. More than 70% of these transactions (total $230,466) do not have any supporting documents.

"The auditors were unable to determine the purpose of these transactions," Kelly wrote in the letter, adding that the other 157 transactions (a total of $35,397) were only partially supported by the required documents.

"This means it is impossible to determine whether the $265,862.34 dues spent by President Escobar without documents is a legal union expenditure," the letter said.

The audit found that two other UFLAC officials - former secretary Adam Walker and former finance minister Domingo Albarran Jr. had a total of more than $530,000 in credit card transactions, with no receipts or partial documents. Walker did not respond to a request for comment, and Albaran declined to comment.

The letter said that about $800,000 in total was not correctly recorded in credit card purchases.

Vice Presidents Chuong Ho and Doug Coates were suspended and alleged breach of trust duties for “failure to implement UFLAC policies.” No request for comment was responded.

Escobar arrived at the joint office Friday morning to speak with reporters at a press conference where he called to refute the allegations. He said he did not realize he was under audit and was never asked to provide his receipt.

According to UFLAC policy, all credit card expenses require receipts, as well as explanations of fees, including current fees and commercial reasons for the expenses.

Escobar said the records he held include everything the IAFF said was missing. But he also said that he did not have a total amount and did not know how much he would have to calculate. He said all receipts he provided had been uploaded to the union's expense system.

He said, "No matter what I say, I don't."

He said he compiled documents over the years, including more than 1,500 receipts, minutes of meetings and explanations of his fees, including deals on gasoline, food, hotels and Uber rides. He said no one was personal expenses.

When asked why he said he would ride in Uber when he owned a take-home car offered by a union, he said the ride was for members to conduct union business.

The auditor raised accounting issues ahead of schedule for UFLAC, which highlighted "significant flaws" in March 2024 as officials failed to properly record their spending.

Despite the warning, Escobar made 339 transactions (total of $71,671) with his UFLAC credit card in 2024 without submitting a receipt.

Escobar said the auditor never spoke to him.

"What is the warning? It's an audit that says we can always do better, and it always happens - we can always do better," he said.

When asked about things that could be improved because he said he had all the receipts, he replied: "There could be more details. ... Explain, fine-tune."

He called on the IAFF to "do the right thing" and restore him to president. Meanwhile, he said he would return to Captain LAFD at the Fire Department in Boyle Heights.

IAFF spokesman Ryan Heffernan said in a statement Friday that since March 2024 and until last month, Escobar “repeatedly urged his fiduciary obligations to fulfill his fiduciary obligations in writing and in-person meetings to fulfill his fiduciary obligations and to fulfill his fiduciary obligations to members of Local 112 and submit appropriate documents to all expenses.”

"Nevertheless, the forensic audit released in May 2025 confirmed the serious flaws in Mr. Escobar's cost settlement and record keeping practices between 2018 and 2024," the statement said.

Last month, an investigation by the Times found that Escobar and other top union officials had been working overtime for years, while also collecting five to six-figure union allowances.

Escobar made about $540,000 in 2022, the latest record of his city and union income. Salary data shows that his base salary was $184,034 and his overtime pay for that year was $184,034, and he received $424,500 in salary and benefits from New York City.

He charged an additional $115,962 in stipend from the union, according to his latest federal tax filing. He reported working 48 hours a week for union and related responsibilities, while the city of New York provided an average of about 30 hours of overtime per week for firefighting changes, totaling about 78 hours a week.

On Friday, he objected to his gross income and said “this is far less than that, but he did not provide evidence.