Campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee to have sentencing delayed

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Campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee will have to wait a little longer to learn her fate for stealing more than $7 million in political funds from at least 50 clients, including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Durkee, who pleaded guilty in March to five counts of mail fraud, was scheduled to be sentenced June 20 in federal court, but her attorney and federal officials have agreed to delay the sentencing until Oct. 10.

‘Based on the complexity of this case, all parties have agreed to a continuation of the judgment and sentencing,’’ wrote Linda Alger, a senior United States probation officer, in a memo to the clerk of U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller. The judge approved the continuance.

Alger and prosecutors are still trying to determine the full extent of the embezzlement scheme as part of their determination of how many years Durkee should spend behind bars. A preliminary proposal would have her go to prison for 11 years and three months.

U.S. Atty. Benjamin B. Wagner said at the time of her guilty pleas that the theft appears to be the largest embezzlement scheme ever by a campaign treasurer. He said Durkee may have stolen as much as $10 million, diverting funds from campaign accounts to pay for meeting her business payroll, making mortgage payments on her house, trips to Disneyland and buying Baskin-Robbins ice cream.

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L.A. County won’t file misdemeanor charges against Kinde Durkee

-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento

Henry Vandermeir / California Democratic Council via Associated Press