California Democratic Treasurer Perpetrated $7 Million Fraud

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say in a court filing that Democratic campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee defrauded at least 50 candidates, officeholders and political organizations out of $7 million in a scheme that dates back more than a decade.

The U.S. attorney's office in Sacramento filed the new charges in federal court late Tuesday, providing the most detailed account to date in a case that has left some Democratic candidates scrambling for campaign cash in an election year.

Such filings typically are a prelude to a plea deal, but prosecutors would not confirm such a development or offer any further details.

Durkee, who heads Durkee & Associates in Burbank, was arrested in September and charged with suspicion of mail fraud after millions of dollars disappeared from the campaign accounts of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, other Democratic members of Congress and several state lawmakers.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.