A watchdog group asks the IRS to investigate AltaMed's spending on its CEO and his family
Campaign for Accountability (CfA), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit watchdog, said on August 20, 2026 that it had filed a complaint asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether AltaMed Health Services Corporation violated federal rules on private inurement and excess benefit transactions. CfA's release cites $1,925,688 in reported 2024 compensation for President and CEO Cástulo de la Rocha, split-dollar life insurance arrangements that it says loaned $17.34 million to him and $4.17 million to his wife, an AltaMed executive, and a $15 million pledge made in 2023 to the University of La Verne for a facility to be named for him.
These are allegations: the release reports no IRS action and notes only that if the IRS found such violations, it could impose penalties or revoke AltaMed's tax-exempt status. The release includes no response from AltaMed, which CfA describes as serving more than 700,000 low-income patients in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Key points
- This is a third-party complaint asking the IRS to investigate; CfA's release reports no IRS investigation, finding or penalty.
- The figures cited — $1,925,688 in 2024 CEO compensation, split-dollar insurance loans of $17.34 million and $4.17 million, and a $15 million university pledge — are allegations in CfA's complaint.
- CfA's release includes no response from AltaMed.
Sources for this story
Campaign for Accountability (press release, August 20, 2026)Sources for your board packet
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Affected FQHCs
FQHC Talent. (2026, August 20). A watchdog group asks the IRS to investigate AltaMed's spending on its CEO and his family. Source: Campaign for Accountability (press release, August 20, 2026). Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/altamed-irs-private-inurement-complaint-2026
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