ESCONDIDO — Explosive allegations led to the firing of the Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive officer during an emergency meeting on Tuesday.
The Board of Directors, led by Chairwoman Deanna Smith, fired CEO James Rowten after it was discovered he allegedly deleted financial records, didn’t report $25,000 in discretionary spending, has two outstanding loans leveraged against the chamber’s building, missed payroll, ran up a $50,000 monthly debt, “scrubbed” his work computer and tried to broker the sale of Palomar Medical Center, according to sources familiar with the situation. They asked for anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation.
Additionally, the board fired the three remaining employees as the chamber cannot make payroll this cycle. According to the sources, board members secured enough money to cover payroll and paid the employees on Thursday, although the employees are still owed for vacation and sick time.
