Zoo Chief’s Special Bank Account Probed : Audit: It apparently was established and controlled by the director without the knowledge of his superiors.

Auditors are examining a special account set up and controlled by Los Angeles Zoo Director Warren Thomas, apparently without the knowledge of his superiors in the Department of Recreation and Parks, The Times has learned.

The account was established in part with miscellaneous fees that film companies and others paid for use of the zoo, according to a source familiar with the inquiry.

On a number of occasions, Thomas apparently instructed people paying the fees to write two checks instead of one, then he would deposit half with the city and half in the special account, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

For example, when a pet food manufacturer used the zoo, the promotional fee would be split between the accounts, the source said, as would fees from film companies that rented zoo grounds.

The account has been the subject of an inquiry since June, when city officials learned of its existence. The audit is designed to determine the sources of the money, how much was in the account, how it was spent and whether the use of the account violated city accounting regulations.

Asked about the existence of the special account, Thomas said, “I have absolutely nothing to say.”

Officials at the Greater Los Angeles Area Zoo Assn., which held the account, said that Thomas withdrew money for various zoo projects and for one recent trip. They said they have no reason to believe any of the money was misspent.

In a letter to the Recreation and Parks Department on June 14, Deputy Mayor Mark Fabiani said the possible existence of such a fund “raises serious questions” and asked that auditors report the results to the mayor’s office. The audit is expected to be completed this week.

James E. Hadaway, general manager of the Department of Recreation and Parks, refused to discuss the audit Tuesday, but said Thomas is being investigated in connection with unanswered complaints about the zoo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as for another matter.

Hadaway said he may decide as early as today whether to initiate disciplinary action against Thomas in the two matters.

City officials said this week that they are particularly wary about discussing Thomas because he sued the city in 1986 after he was fired for a number of alleged irregularities. Thomas was reinstated in the job by a federal judge who ruled that the firing had been improper.

The Times reported last week that the Griffith Park facility had been cited repeatedly by USDA inspectors for more than three years for inadequate food storage, sanitation and drainage problems, pest and rodent contamination, inadequate housing, run-down animal barns, and other alleged violations of federal regulations. Thomas did not reply to a letter sent to him nearly a year ago by the USDA demanding an immediate response.

Last week, Thomas said he had been unaware of the problems, but has begun a crash program and has addressed many of them.

The so-called Zoo Emergency Fund was set up in the mid-1980s at Thomas’ request through the Greater Los Angeles Area Zoo Assn., according to Thomas R. Tellefsen, chairman of the group’s executive board. Tellefsen confirmed that the nonprofit group that helps run the zoo maintained the account for Thomas, who deposited and spent the money without oversight from the city or the association.

“Warren asked that this fund be available through GLAZA books in order to deal with emergencies,” Tellefsen said. “Warren would tell GLAZA what to cut a check for and the amount and GLAZA would do it”

The staff “assumed this had all been authorized by the city,” Tellefsen said, adding that Thomas was the association’s liaison with the city.

Thomas deposited an unknown amount of money in the account over the years and had sole control over it, Tellefsen said. Thomas has made only one cash withdrawal, a recent advance to pay for an overseas trip, said Tellefsen, who declined to give other details of the trip.

On other occasions, Thomas ordered checks written to pay for various projects around the zoo, Tellefsen said.

The association has been cooperating with the city inquiry and has turned over all records of the account, he added.

The account came to light several months ago when a parks department official happened to ask a GLAZA staffer how Thomas planned to pay for one of his trips, Tellefsen said.

The GLAZA staffer then mentioned the Zoo Emergency Fund, Tellefsen said. “That’s when the department said, ‘What’s the Zoo Emergency Fund?’ ”

Tellefsen added: “There’s no griping on GLAZA’s part. . . . We’ve been totally open.”

In addition to the emergency fund, Tellefsen said, GLAZA allocates funds each year to pay for trips by Thomas. Normally, he said, such trips were approved in advance by the GLAZA board, which then appropriated money from GLAZA accounts.