Leader Of California Union SEIU Alma Hernandez Charged With Tax Fraud, Embezzlement

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The California attorney general filed criminal charges of embezzlement and tax evasion against the executive director of SEIU California, the largest state worker union.

Labor leader Alma Hernandez resigned after she and her husband Jose Moscoso were named in the criminal complaint.

Attorney General Rob Bonta's office alleges the pair under-reported more than $1 million in income over the past six years, including $176,000 in 2016, $416,000 in 2017, and $666,000 in 2018.

The complaint also alleges Hernandez unlawfully took political campaign money for personal use in 2014 and 2015.

SEIU California issued a statement reading:

"We are calling for a full review of ethical standards, procedures, and systems to determine how this break in trust could have occurred…"

Will Swaim is president of the California Policy Center, a group critical of SEIU California's influence.

"So this is a person who has the capacity in that job, to help shape political outcomes for all Californians, not just their members," Swaim said.

Swaim says this criminal case likely won't impact SEIU's influence in the capitol.

"No, not likely because, again, this is a group that is considered the equivalent of a Las Vegas casino whale, the kind of guy who shows up once every six weeks with a million bucks in chips and gets the best room on the house," Swaim said.

Recently appointed democrat AG Bonta announced the charge against the SEIU labor leader just months after the SEIU gave $2 million to Gov. Gavin Newsom's anti-recall campaign.

"You know most of the battles these days are Democrat versus Democrat. Take the recall aside, that's the world we live in," Sacramento political consultant Andrew Acosta said.

Allegations of a broken public trust have led to this labor leader losing her job and facing the possibility of jail time.

Hernandez and her husband are set to appear in court for the first time on Friday.