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Kinde Durkee Expected To Plead Guilty In Embezzlement Case

Staff Reporters |
March 28, 2012 | 10:53 a.m. PDT

A major Democratic campaign treasurer who allegedly stole millions from the campaigns she helped run is expected to plead guilty this week, according to multiple reports (AP; Sacramento Bee). 

(Creative Commons)
(Creative Commons)

Kinde Durkee is accused of embezzling more than $7 million from at least 50 accounts. For example, she reportedly stole $23,000 from Dianne Feinstein's account to pay for personal and business expenses.

From the L.A. Times:

Durkee was arrested Sept. 2 and charged with mail fraud in a case alleging that in 2010 she misused $677,000 from the campaign account of Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana). Prosecutors continued the investigation because Durkee oversaw about 360 campaign accounts for about 100 candidates, including Feinstein and Correa.

Durkee has been called the Bernie Maddoff of campaign treasurers. 

For more background on the story, see the OC Register's 2011 story on how the fraud was uncovered

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