Campaign Treasurer Accused in Fraud Will Enter a Plea

Kinde Durkee, the former campaign treasurer accused of embezzling millions from the campaigns of Senator Dianne Feinstein and other California Democrats, will enter a plea this week to multiple felony charges, according to a statement from the United States attorney's office in Sacramento.

Published: March 29, 2012

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The office refused to release any information on the plea and Ms. Durkee's lawyer did not respond to calls for comment.

An amended complaint against Ms. Durkee was filed on Tuesday, alleging that she stole more than $7 million from dozens of Democratic campaigns and committees. She used the money to pay her own personal and business expenses, according to the complaint, as well as to repay unauthorized withdrawals from other clients' accounts.

The embezzlement scheme had been going on for years, according to the complaint, and Ms. Durkee had worked on campaigns for Senator Feinstein since 1992. She was arrested in September when the F.B.I. said she had been siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from the campaign of a state assemblyman. At the time, she controlled nearly 400 campaign accounts.

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