West Covina spent $152,000 on Moon Festival tied to mayor’s wife

West Covina spent $152,000 in the past two years to put on the annual Moon Festival in partnership with a nonprofit whose volunteer chief financial officer is Mayor Tony Wu’s wife, according to public records and interviews.

The nonprofit Chinese American Association of West Covina covers part of the festival’s expenses, but keeps all of the fees collected from vendors and sponsorships. The city makes little to no money from the event, according to a recent presentation.

The city, meanwhile, is responsible for the stage, hiring entertainment, purchasing liability insurance and payroll costs — at overtime rates — for police, fire and other City Hall staff involved with the festival’s planning and execution, records showed.

Cost quadrupled in a year

On the city’s side, Wu reportedly part