SACRAMENTO – A prominent Democratic campaign treasurer who works for federal, state and O.C. lawmakers including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Loretta Sanchez and state legislators Lou Correa and Jose Solorio has been arrested by the FBI on suspicion of mail fraud.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek confirmed Saturday afternoon that Kinde Durkee of Burbank-based Durkee and Associates, was arrested by the FBI on a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento. Special Agent Steve Dupre of the bureau's Sacramento office said she was arrested in connection with her position as a campaign treasurer.
State Sen. Lou Correa told the Register on Saturday afternoon that he was called by the FBI late Friday night and told that Durkee had been arrested and that he is a likely victim along with "many, many other victims." The Santa Ana Democrat said he believes he has lost "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in campaign funds.
"This is clearly a sense of betrayal of someone I have trusted for a number of years," said Correa, who has used Durkee as his campaign treasurer since 1995. "This is a punch straight to the gut."
Federal Election Commission records show that Durkee is the treasurer for Feinstein and Sanchez, who could not be reached Saturday. California Secretary of State records show she currently serves as the treasurer for at least 113 state-level committees. Those committees include campaign accounts for Solorio, D-Santa Ana; Assemblymen Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, and Roger Hernandez, D-Baldwin Park; State Sens. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance and Curren Price, D-Los Angeles; Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian; and former Orange County lawmaker Tom Umberg.
Durkee also oversaw the political-action committees of the Democratic Party of Orange County and the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, among others.
Durkee admitted to the FBI that "she has been misappropriating her clients' money for years."
The complaint alleges that Durkee defrauded Jose Solorio, an Assemblyman from Orange County. According to the document, Durkee used campaign funds to pay her employees, her personal taxes, and even her credit card bills.
One such bill covered expenses including cosmetics, plane tickets, gas, Amazon gift cards, a visit to Baskin Robbins, and a trip to Ariel's Grotto at Disneyland. Durkee also (allegedly) used Solorio's campaign money to pay for her mother's nursing home.
Durkee admitted to the FBI that she had "personal and business tax problems," according to the complaint, and that she used her business account "to pay for her daily living expenses, including food, entertainment and mortgages."
Durkee also, allegedly, filed false campaign statements for Solorio, failing to note that she had withdrawn two cashier's checks worth a total of $677,000 from his account. Solorio told the FBI he had never authorized those withdrawals.
Solorio sent an e-mail to supporters saying "I've been robbed." He explained that he hired Durkee "because she was regarded as a highly respected professional, and for decades, the treasurer for the campaigns of many prominent elected officials in the state."
Durkee is based in Burbank and had many local clients, including the L.A. County Democratic Party, Councilman Paul Krekorian, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, and Sen. Ted Lieu.
Democrat campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee has been arrested by the FBI on mail fraud charges
:lol:
Imagine that, liberals stealing from one another.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek confirmed Saturday afternoon that Kinde Durkee of Burbank-based Durkee and Associates, was arrested by the FBI on a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento. Special Agent Steve Dupre of the bureau's Sacramento office said she was arrested in connection with her position as a campaign treasurer.
State Sen. Lou Correa told the Register on Saturday afternoon that he was called by the FBI late Friday night and told that Durkee had been arrested and that he is a likely victim along with "many, many other victims." The Santa Ana Democrat said he believes he has lost "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in campaign funds.
"This is clearly a sense of betrayal of someone I have trusted for a number of years," said Correa, who has used Durkee as his campaign treasurer since 1995. "This is a punch straight to the gut."
Federal Election Commission records show that Durkee is the treasurer for Feinstein and Sanchez, who could not be reached Saturday. California Secretary of State records show she currently serves as the treasurer for at least 113 state-level committees. Those committees include campaign accounts for Solorio, D-Santa Ana; Assemblymen Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, and Roger Hernandez, D-Baldwin Park; State Sens. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance and Curren Price, D-Los Angeles; Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian; and former Orange County lawmaker Tom Umberg.
Durkee also oversaw the political-action committees of the Democratic Party of Orange County and the Democratic Foundation of Orange County, among others.
Durkee admitted to the FBI that "she has been misappropriating her clients' money for years."
The complaint alleges that Durkee defrauded Jose Solorio, an Assemblyman from Orange County. According to the document, Durkee used campaign funds to pay her employees, her personal taxes, and even her credit card bills.
One such bill covered expenses including cosmetics, plane tickets, gas, Amazon gift cards, a visit to Baskin Robbins, and a trip to Ariel's Grotto at Disneyland. Durkee also (allegedly) used Solorio's campaign money to pay for her mother's nursing home.
Durkee admitted to the FBI that she had "personal and business tax problems," according to the complaint, and that she used her business account "to pay for her daily living expenses, including food, entertainment and mortgages."
Durkee also, allegedly, filed false campaign statements for Solorio, failing to note that she had withdrawn two cashier's checks worth a total of $677,000 from his account. Solorio told the FBI he had never authorized those withdrawals.
Solorio sent an e-mail to supporters saying "I've been robbed." He explained that he hired Durkee "because she was regarded as a highly respected professional, and for decades, the treasurer for the campaigns of many prominent elected officials in the state."
Durkee is based in Burbank and had many local clients, including the L.A. County Democratic Party, Councilman Paul Krekorian, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, and Sen. Ted Lieu.
Democrat campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee has been arrested by the FBI on mail fraud charges:lol:
Imagine that, liberals stealing from one another.