Calif. Democratic operative arrested for fraud

LOS ANGELES - A longtime Democratic campaign treasurer who has worked for dozens of state, federal and local politicians in California has been arrested on suspicion of mail fraud, officials said Saturday.

Kinde Durkee, who heads Durkee & Associates in Burbank, was arrested Friday afternoon by the FBI on a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento, said U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek. No further details were available.

The arrest was first reported by the Orange County Register.

A phone message left at Durkee's office by The Associated Press was not immediately returned. She is expected to appear in a Southern California court Tuesday.

State Sen. Lou Correa of Santa Ana told the Register the FBI notified him late Friday that he was one of many victims. Correa said he believes he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds. Durkee had been his campaign treasurer since 1995.

Federal Election Commission records show Durkee is treasurer for U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange County, a host of state assemblymen and senators, city councilmen and political action committees.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission has taken action against her four times, mainly for failing to report transactions or information, and sent her a dozen warning letters. She also stipulated to a violation from San Diego's Ethics Commission.

Durkee's website said the business specializes in political accounting and has been operating since 1972.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

Well, technically, no Democratic politician is guilty of anything. The accused accountant is probably a Democrat, and should be punished like every other criminal. I think this underpins a need to watch both political parties and pursue all illegitimate activities as I think there's a lot of these folks who feel themselves are above the law. Unfortunately, since these folks make the laws, they actually are above the law in too many cases.

[college247]

If we are now arresting democrats for fraud then why is Barrack Obama still a free man?

[SoCal_Gridlock]

......Calif. Democratic operative arrested for fraud.......


Finally after bad news about jobs and hurricanes we get an honest to goodness feel good story!

[realtimecoffee]

Willy Sutton was a depression era bank robber. He was wanted for robberies in Miami, New Orleans, and New York. After his capture in 1950, a reporter asked him why he robbed banks. His reply was, "Because that's where the money is." Aside from the lack of moral justification, his strategy was sound: go where the money is.

[tsigili]

There are a lot of crooks associated with the Democratic party, in many ways.

[insightig]

Oh Give Me a Break!! Like the Republican's are honest. One Republican owes thousands in child support... but is running on family and God. I'm still waiting for them do something with Bush/Cheney and the bogus lies they told to get into a war we should not have been in. I yes, I can say that because I was one of the Americans who made the statement "No War"... but somehow Bush managed to zoom into GOD who gave him his answer and within 3 hours we went to war. What a bunch of crackers we have here in the U.S. I'm ashamed and the world is laughing at us all.

[dantom39]

What schocks me is reading this on CBS a democrat talking machine.

[thechooch1]

And I'll bet you think Faux is fair and balanced.

[thechooch1]

Please read the accompanying article too. It seems that this person is accused to stealing from Democrats, not Democrats stealing from someone. She is accused of stealing campaign funds.

[seenoland]

I'm shocked! Shocked to find criminal activity in Democrat campaign funding!

[thechooch1]

seenoland seems she was stealing from the Democrats.

[akibeel]

To canameri: yet you sleep safely under the covers as they protected this country

[newnameagain]

The send them to chicago to be schooled

[nuttyworld]

Hope she also works for Steinberg, Cedillo, and all others who work overtime breaking laws in order to give illegal immigrants free reign in CA.