Ammo, DJs, a $9,000 mascot: Inside the Philly sheriff's 'slush fund' spending

"Accounts like this allow law enforcement leaders to spend on things that would not be approved by local governing bodies," Vargas said.

An Inquirer analysis of 17 months of Sheriff's Department bank records and other documents obtained through Right-to-Know requests identified nearly $3.2 million that flowed into a TD Bank account controlled by the sheriff called "Operation Cost Payable."

Following the source and final destination of all that money is often difficult and sometimes impossible. Even so, reporters tracked nearly $2 million that was paid using checks that covered more than 700 discretionary purchases, such as the mascot costume.

Many purchases had little to do with the sheriff's core duties of auctioning property, serving warrants, transporting inmates, and providing court security.

For example: About $40,000 went to companies that supply branded merchandise such as backpacks, polo shirts or fidget spinners; $20,000 went toward food and catering costs, including a $6,600 party at Chickie's & Pete's; and $8,000 more paid for professional DJs and other entertainment.

The fund has also been used to pay for temporary Sheriff's Office staffing and, most recently, an administrative assistant who is paid biweekly but is not on the official city payroll.

Some checks are cosigned by Bilal herself, such as a $32,000 payment for advertising written last year to TML Communications, a firm run by Bilal's former campaign manager who now serves as the office's contracted spokesperson.

In addition, the Sheriff's Office used more than $300,000 from the same account to cover the costs of a "pop-up health care clinic" in April 2022, according to a summary released by the office last year.

Bilal and her senior staff have previously said they believe they are permitted to spend this money themselves because they don't receive enough funding from the city. They did not respond to requests for comment over the last week.

In a recent op-ed, Bilal said she has been working to improve the office's accounting practices "with an eye toward transparency." She said that the "accounting practices the office now uses conform to city finance requirements."

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