Durkee
Posted on 09/12/2011 4:18:13 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she was “wiped out” by Kinde Durkee, a well-connected California Democratic political operative who served as treasurer for hundreds of state, local and federal campaign committees.
Durkee was arrested by the FBI on Sept. 2 on allegations of fraud surrounding the diversion of more than $670,000 from the reelection committee for a California state assemblyman, and a growing list of California Democrats, including Feinstein and Reps. Susan Davis and Loretta Sanchez, now appear to victims as well.
“I was wiped out too, we don’t know how much,” said Feinstein, indicating the losses in campaign funds could run into hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars. Feinstein, who is up for reelection next year, reported just over $5 million in the bank as of June 30, according to disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
“She did my ‘92 campaign, my ‘94 campaign, my 2000 [campaign], my 2006 [campaign] … my gubernatorial campaign,” Feinstein told POLITICO on Monday, describing her long relationship with Durkee. “I trusted her implicitly.”
Feinstein said she and her campaign staff have been unable to access all their bank records at this point because Durkee alone controlled access to the account, which has made it difficult for them to assess how much money is gone.
“It’s very painful,” Feinstein added.
Davis is missing more than $250,000 from her reelection committee. Loretta Sanchez has already declared her $379,000 campaign war chest was “nearly wiped out” by Kindee. The Los Angeles County Democratic Party reported that it lost at least $200,000, while California Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D) may be out as much as $677,000.
And dozens of other campaign committees have yet to declare whether they suffered losses as well.
Durkee has not been formally accused of any wrondoing in connection with missing funds from the campaign accounts of Feinstein, Davis or Sanchez at this time, but Justice Department officials allege that Durkee moved money from one of Solorio’s accounts into an account she controlled and then wrote a check for $125,000 to Sanchez’s campaign shortly before last November’s congressional elections.
In a letter sent by Davis on Sunday - first reported by the San Diego Union Tribune - the six-term House member told supporters that “we have been robbed!”
“Upwards of $250,000 in campaign funds have been stolen from us. Our treasurer was arrested and is accused of funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars (maybe millions) to herself from our campaign, and the campaigns of many, many others,” Davis stated.
“The records we vigilantly kept and reported to the Federal Election Commission accurately reflect contributions that we received and monies we knowingly spent. However, the reports [Durkee] submitted to us about our account balances were false. As this scandal emerges, she may well become known as the Bernie Madoff of campaign finance treasurers.”
Durkee was one of the most widely sought after treasurers in California Democratic politics with dozens of state, local and federal clients. An FBI special agent told a federal judge in California that Durkee had access to “more than 400 bank accounts” at the time of her arrest, and the scale of alleged diversions of funds is only now starting to become clear.
Durkee reportedly used the money she is accused of diverted from Solorio to cover business and personal expenses, including payments for her mother’s nursing home.
Durkee has been released on a $200,000 bond on Friday under strict conditions that she not leave the region or involve herself in the affairs of her company, Durkee & Associates, or its clients.
Democrats missing cash !?? Impossible - what a racist thing to say !
of course, there is money missing out of the __campaign__bank__account__........
They didn’t check their pockets yet...
Maybe he'll drop a little Chocolate Mountain on her.
Nothin' quite like $14 BILLION in gold stolen from the taxpayers to give a politician relief.
Hopefully the woman had complete control of pelosi’s campaign cash to!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOO!! Fingers and toes crossed!
The only thing wrong with this is that Durkee didn’t work for Obama. That would be real justice.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, give the poor baby a trillion dollars...
This just makes my week!!! I so love when democrat politicians suffer...thank you for posting this article!!!
I wonder if she may have been co-mingling funds of her clients so those who had little available could be covered by those with excess funds and circumvent reporting rules.
OK.
Tnx! ‘Preciate it.
And if anyone hears tell about Nanzi getting her bankroll rolled, let me know.
The misfortunes of others shouldn’t make me happy, BUT——
IT’S SOME OF THE BEST NEWS I’VE HEARD IN A WHILE!
:)
Yes!!. LOL! I can hardly catch my breath.
Definition of SCHADENFREUDE
: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others
See schadenfreude defined for English-language learners »
Origin of SCHADENFREUDE
German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy
“Feinstein said she and her campaign staff have been unable to access all their bank records at this point because Durkee alone controlled access to the account”
How dumb do you have to be?! You always have checks and balances no matter if the one in charge is your family. And we wonder why our country is in such a mess. People running it who are freaking clueless!
Durkee
Durkee
Is it any wonder the nation is bankrupt with idiots like Feinstein in office.
"Feinstein said she and her campaign staff have been unable to access all their bank records at this point because Durkee alone controlled access to the account, which has made it difficult for them to assess how much money is gone."
And these people control Social Security, Medicare, Medicade, all of the welfare programs, etc.. Now they want to usurp the individual American citizen's right to manage his/her own health care. Frightening!
“It’s very painful,” Feinstein added.
Just put some ice on it Sen. Feinstein.
Our expert service is never compromised by our speedy response to your needs; we simply work to have the quickest “turn-around” time in the business, and the friendly “Durkee & Associates’ Spirit” shines through in all that we do.
http://www.durkeeandassociates.com/company.html
And Feinstein’s third husband, Richard Blum, has made a fortune off of his wife’s political career. He can afford to bankroll her next campaign and cough up some additional bucks for a facelift and a new hairdresser ( the Planet of the Apes is so yesterday).
How could this many people be so stupid and clueless about their own money?!? And they expect us to trust them to fix Washington? Democrats! It must be some genetic defect.
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