California University of Pennsylvania audit questions nonprofit, center financing

University President Angelo Armenti Jr. was fired on Wednesday.

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education says an audit shows California University of Pennsylvania inappropriately used university employees to raise money for its private foundation and improperly diverted nearly $6 million to the same nonprofit.

The report released Thursday also questioned the financing of the university’s new $59 million Convocation Center.

The education system fired university President Angelo Armenti Jr. on Wednesday.

The Washington Observer-Reporter reports the California University trustees chairman released a response to the audit late Thursday. In that document, Armenti calls the findings “baseless” and “unfounded.”

One complaint that prompted the audit claimed the university made fraudulent funding projections for the Convocation Center. The audit found the university had said it had $12.3 million in cash on hand and donations for construction but only a fraction of that figure was actually available.