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Feinstein Also Hit by 'Madoff of Campaign Treasurers'

Senator the highest profile victim yet for alleged fraudster Kinde Durkee

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 13, 2011 1:47 PM CDT

(Newser) – Dianne Feinstein's campaign was one of those ripped off by an allegedly fraudulent Democratic campaign treasurer, the senator tells the LA Times. Kinde Durkee was arrested on fraud charges two weeks ago, with California Reps. Loretta Sanchez and Susan Davis listed among her alleged victims; Davis dubbed her “the Bernie Madoff of campaign treasurers.” Now, Feinstein’s staff says the senator “was wiped out, too, but we don’t know how much.”

Feinstein has raised $5.2 million this year, but now can’t access the accounts to see how much Durkee may have made off with. Durkee has long worked for Feinstein, handling the money for her 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, and 2006 campaigns, and staffers say her work had never drawn suspicion before. “We’ll have to … make sure going forward we have safeguards,” her chief campaign consultant says. “Right now, we’re just trying to make sure where our money is.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington in July.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington in July.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
brawne
Sep 13, 2011 7:22 PM CDT
Personally, I'd be happy if people finally got the Madoff thing right--he was a money launderer who became a Ponzi scheme.  No Ponzi scheme lasts 35 years without some money coming in that doesn't go right back out.  For all those years his clients gave him clean money principle for dirty money interest and for that transaction he took about 50 cents on the dollar.  That's a lot when you're washing the cartels' monies and all of organized crime. The odd thing is that criminals pay more taxes in the form of costs to wash, than legal guys.  But, as Bernie learned to his dismay in '08--when the shit hits the fan-- the cartels want all their money.  Not just the principle, but all the fake interest too.  By the time he paid them off--nothing left.  Calling Bernie a Ponzi scheme messes up the whole idea of what one is.  Perry's right, today SS is a Ponzi scheme cause we drained it dry to pay for a bunch of other stuff since Reagan.  So now your dollar goes to that dollar.  But, it didn't start that way and it was meant to sit there and accrue interest and not pay for every war till it was drained dry and we said--well, hello, China.
GenericLeftist
Sep 13, 2011 4:34 PM CDT
Hopefully she can't fund her campaign next round, California has %30 of the welfare case load of the ENTIRE country over 1.3 million on welfare, if you haven't been to California and seen the shithole it's been transformed into over the past 30 years then you should take a trip over here it would change your whole perception on liberalism. Doesn't work here, won't work anywhere.
LoginsSuck
Sep 13, 2011 3:21 PM CDT
No honor among thieves.

 
California • fraud • Dianne Feinstein • campaign funds • Kinde Durkee

 
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