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Judge Releases Ex-Campaign Treasurer
by Paul Bass | Sep 24, 2012 2:13 pm
(21) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author
Posted to: Legal Writes, Politics, Edgewood
As family and friends watched on in support, a New Haven woman appeared in court Monday on charges of stealing money from a second political campaign—this time a local race for alderman.
New Haven police arrested the woman, Sandra McKinnie, over the weekend on third-degree larceny and illegual use of a credit card charges. According to an arrest warrant in the case, McKinnie stole $2,810.70—mostly in small local withdrawals, with the exception of a big shopping trip to Macy’s in New York—“for personal gain” from the 2009 campaign of Edgewood Alderwoman Liz McCormack. McKinnie served as McCormack’s campaign treasurer.
McKinnie, who’s 49, spent the weekend in police custody when she couldn’t meet a $10,000 bond. In Courtroom B of the Elm State state courthouse Monday, Judge Joseph Licari released her on a promise to appear again on Oct. 2.
McKinnie already had an Oct. 2 court date scheduled on a separate larceny charge. The state arrested her on Friday for allegedly stealing $4,270 from the 2008 state representative campaign of Gary Holder-Winfield. McKinnie was Holder-Winfield’s campaign treasurer, too. An arrest warrant (read it here) quotes McKinnie admitting she “wasn’t diligent” about the treasurer job (a role she described as campaign “piss girl”) but denying using money for personal reasons or for any reasons other than campaign. Read all about that case here.
Approached in court before her appearance Monday, McKinnie declined comment.
Afterwards, outside the courtroom, her sister, Valerie McKinnie, spoke in her defense.
“She’s innocent until proven guilty,” said the sister, who sat with fellow family members and friends during the brief court appearance. “I believe she is innocent.”
Sandra McKinnie’s public defender, Maggie Castinado, urged the judge to release McKinnie on a promise to appear. She said McKinnie had turned herself in to face the charges.
The prosecutor, Joseph LaMotta (at right in photo), didn’t take a position on whether to release McKinnie without bond. He did tell the judge: “This will make two pending cases for the same behavior in two different campaigns. She’s got two cases pending. I think the bond is at the court’s discretion’s, but I did want to point [that] out.”
McKinnie, wearing a denim jacket over a sweater, did not speak at the proceeding. Over the years, besides volunteering for political campaigns, McKinnie has been active in community events through a previous position with the Community Action Agency. She spearheaded a 2009-2010 effort to get as many New Haveners as possible signed up with the U.S. Census.
Warrant Signed In May
New Haven police have had a signed warrant for McKinnie’s arrest since May 1. She is believed to have been out of state since that time.
Assistant Police Chief Archie Generoso said North Haven police notified New Haven police Friday night that they had McKinnie with them; the New Haven police transported her to police headquarters at 1 Union Ave., where she was finally served with the warrant the next day, according to Generoso.
The warrant stemmed from the 2009 campaign for alderman in Edgewood’s 24th Ward.
Click here to read a story about a fundraising event from the campaign, where McKinnie spoke on McCormack’s behalf.
After McCormack (pictured) lost that election, she started hearing from people who never got paid for work on the campaign. Months of investigation followed.
“I didn’t find out there were people not getting paid until the [2009 aldermanic] election was over,” McCormack recalled in an interview Sunday evening. “Then people started saying they never got checks.”
McCormack said she asked McKinnie about the complaints. McKinnie replied that she needed more money to pay the bills, according to McCormack. So McCormack raised another $2,000.
“She took that money, too,” McCormack claimed. “People still said they didn’t get paid.”
McKinnie was the only signatory to the account, according to McCormack. That meant McCormack couldn’t at first retrieve records from the account, which was housed at the former Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) bank.
So she fired McKinnie as treasurer and replaced her with activist Gwen Mills.
McCormack and Mills then spent months piecing together records from the bank reports, from deposit slips, from withdrawals and payments, and matched them to campaign reports. “We rebuilt the entire campaign finance picture,” Mills said in an interview.
In the end they found almost $2,810.70 allegedly unaccounted for. Most of it was withdrawn in small amounts—$20 or $40 at a time—through the use of a Visa debit card, according to McCormack. “There was [one] large charge at Macy’s in New York,” McCormack said.
They brought their findings to city police in mid-2010. The department was in transition at the time. McCormack said one detective assigned to the case retired; another was transferred. At one point the records were missing, she said.
Then Detective Rosealee Reid took over the case. “She was the one who got everything going,” said McCormack. Mills agreed Reid “did a good job.”
In her application for the arrest warrant, Reid wrote that McKinnie had failed to show up to meetings with McCormack and Hill Alderman Jorge Perez to discuss the discrepancies, which occurred between May 2009 through February 2010. At least four campaign filings were “unaccounted for,” Reid wrote.
The charges stem from “84 ATM cash withdrawals done at banks all over New Haven,” according to the warrant. They included “[S]upermarket and gas purchases using the Visa/Debit and a purchase from Macy’s West 34th Street in New York City.” Detective Reid reported doing a “line by line audit” with Mills and arriving at the exact amount of unaccounted-for money.
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Comments
posted by: robn on September 24, 2012 9:08am
It would be interesting to know more backstory about Ms McKinney. If she’s held an important position on two big campaigns, then someone in the ranks of the Democratic party has probably been promoting her for those jobs. Who is that person(s)?
posted by: RCguy on September 24, 2012 9:09am
As above so below.
$2000 in a tiny political race in New Haven : $2,000,000,000,000 in a National political race. Symptoms of the system.
I still believe this is no big deal.
Someone in her position has to use the money in a way that she sees fit to help a political campaign along. So if she went to Macy’s, it was probably to get nice clothes for public appearances, which is essential for political gain. This is what we have earned.
Let’s follow the money in EVERY race!
posted by: Threefifths on September 24, 2012 10:03am
May be she can make a movie like him.They go hand and hand.
“Moses of My People” the movie!
http://www.myleftnutmeg.com/diary/14477/moses-of-my-people-the-movie
posted by: robn on September 24, 2012 9:04am
wow.
Its a mistake to conflate compromise with corruption. Compromise is inherently necessary for one person representing many people. If you always cynically reduce the essence of politics to corruption then there’s no hope for any form of representative government, leaving us with either fascism of anarchy.
Care to Retract your Statement?
posted by: HhE on September 22, 2012 11:16pm
I do not know Ms. McKinnie. I do believe in the idea and ideal that she is innocent until proven legally guilty. She may well be morally not guilty as well
Care to Retract your Statement?
People keep drinking the kool-Aid.
Power attracts the corruptible. Suspect any who seek it.”
― Frank Herbert,
P.S.In order to cut down on corruption, I recommend term limits.
posted by: robn on September 24, 2012 10:15am
3/5,
I was actually suggesting two things, neither of which I retract.
1) That you not judge Gary by the actions of his campaign treasurer.
2) That you not generally conflate political compromise with corruption.
Both of my points stand.
posted by: newhavenar on September 24, 2012 10:30am
This is trouble. Ms Mckinnie has worked in various capacities on different campaigns all over the city including Lieberman’s 06 race. She is innocent until proven guilty but if I were those campaigns I would go back and do some checking.
posted by: Threefifths on September 24, 2012 10:34am
posted by: robn on September 24, 2012 10:15am
3/5,
I was actually suggesting two things, neither of which I retract.
1) That you not judge Gary by the actions of his campaign treasurer.
2) That you not generally conflate political compromise with corruption.
Both of my points stand
posted by: robn on September 24, 2012 10:15am
3/5,
I was actually suggesting two things, neither of which I retract.
1) That you not judge Gary by the actions of his campaign treasurer.
Where in my statement did I say Gary,I said politics it self is corruption.In fact just ask the major of the american people.
2) That you not generally conflate political compromise with corruption.
Compromise and Corruption go hand and hand.This is the only way the politicians will get the envelop in the back room or hot tub.You remember the hot tub.
my points stand with the backing of the major of the american people when it comes to poltricks.
posted by: HhE on September 24, 2012 11:27am
Yeah, “wow.” So she is looking good for it.
I do not wish to retract what I said earlier. At the time, with the information I had, I opined that she might or might not be guilty. I also stood by the legal concept of innocent until proven guilty. I have not, nor will I ever repudiate my oath to The Constitution.
Threefifths, your argumentation—structure as well as conclusions—continues to be unsound. I know I will never convince someone as dogmatic and absolutist as you. However, I still fight the good fight, lest someone else be seduced with easy answers to systemic problems.
Term limits might reduce corruption of elected officials, but it would only strengthen the position, power, and corruption of king makers, PACs, machines, and lobbyists.
posted by: Elaine Braffman on September 24, 2012 12:41pm
Liz is a dear long time personal friend of mine and it pained me when she first told me about this. Liz herself will give people the benefit of the doubt first and won’t make any judgement or assumptions toward anyone until the person proves they are not on the up and up. Some folks might believe Liz is weak because of this, but she is a very strong woman and kind hearted along with the highest integrity. I am glad that justice will be served. I am sorry the State Representative Holder-Winfield and Alderwoman McCormack had to go through this whole pathetic situation. As far as the accused…..innocent until proven guilty…. but I believe I know the answer to this one.
posted by: Threefifths on September 24, 2012 1:39pm
posted by: HhE on September 24, 2012 11:27am
Yeah, “wow.” So she is looking good for it.
I do not wish to retract what I said earlier. At the time, with the information I had, I opined that she might or might not be guilty. I also stood by the legal concept of innocent until proven guilty. I have not, nor will I ever repudiate my oath to The Constitution.
The Constitution itself was a sallowness’ document,The Constitution was pro-slavery in its politics, its economics, and its law.The Constitutional provisions protecting slavery were much more than mere “political” compromises—they were integral to the principles of the new nation. In fact the Three-Fifths Compromise hits home.
Threefifths, your argumentation—structure as well as conclusions—continues to be unsound. I know I will never convince someone as dogmatic and absolutist as you. However, I still fight the good fight, lest someone else be seduced with easy answers to systemic problems.
When you say that my argumentation—structure as well as conclusions—continues to be unsound. I know I will never convince someone as dogmatic and absolutist as you.I do not have to convince someone.Just talk to the people,They will tell you the same thing I am saying.In fact look at this poll.People get the Government they deserve. The level of greed, arrogance, and corruption that can be seen in the American Political system, plus the the high level of ignorance of the American people would seem to support this Political system.
Term limits might reduce corruption of elected officials, but it would only strengthen the position, power, and corruption of king makers, PACs, machines, and lobbyists.
Term limits will slow the corruption. In fact a study was done and out of all the case of political corruption,It was with career politicians.
posted by: Threefifths on September 24, 2012 1:45pm
posted by: Elaine Braffman on September 24, 2012 12:41pm
As far as the accused…..innocent until proven guilty…. but I believe I know the answer to this one.
I know the answerto.It is call HandCuffs.
posted by: HhE on September 24, 2012 2:21pm
Threefifths, if you are going to submit a study as evidence, site the study. Otherwise, you only prove my point that your argumentation is unsound.
Which poll are you referring too? A preponderance of people in New Haven chose to use vinyl siding. Does that make it a good idea? No. It provides the illusion of low maintenance as it causes a house to rot.
The original Constitution was problematic. That is why we have a process to amend it.
The argument you have made in the case of Ms. McKinnie was:
p. She was involved in politics.
p. Anyone involved in politics is corrupt.
p. Anyone accused of criminal conduct, who is in politics is guilty.
p. She was accused of a crime.
c. She is guilty.
p. 1 is true.
p. 2 has not been proven.
p. 3 has not been proven.
p. 4 is true.
c. has not been proven, albeit it is likely to be true.
posted by: Threefifths on September 24, 2012 4:55pm
posted by: HhE on September 24, 2012 2:21pm
Threefifths, if you are going to submit a study as evidence, site the study. Otherwise, you only prove my point that your argumentation is unsound
Can you show me a study that I am wrong.
Public Trust in Government: 1958-2010.
The Pew Research Center for People and the Press collected data from the National Election Studies, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times, CNN Polls, and their own polling to analyze trends in the public’s trust of government going back to 1958. The numbers show that trust in government held above 70 percent in the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. But under President Lyndon Johnson, it began to plummet. When he left office, it was barely above 60 percent. Richard Nixon’s presidency drove it below 40 percent. Jimmy Carter’s presidency sent it under 30 percent. And, with the exception of September 11, it has remained between 20 percent and 50 percent ever since.
http://www.people-press.org/2010/04/18/public-trust-in-government-1958-2010/
Read this.
How Americans View Government
Deconstructing Distrust.
http://www.people-press.org/1998/03/10/how-americans-view-government/
Show me a study that shows that people trust politicians.
You may say innocent until proven guilty.But look at the facts that keep rolling in.Open you nose and Like me you can smell the mackerel.
P.S. If she is innocent until proven guilty.How come Gary has not helped her?
P.S. If she is
posted by: fair_havener on September 24, 2012 7:39pm
So, she went shopping at Macy’s with a debit/credit card used for a political campaign and she needed it to look good? She wasn’t even the person running in an election that needed to look good (she could do her job wearing pajamas).
She said she was “diligent” in her job, yet people running the campaign(s) never got paid—even after a second fund raiser to pay the people!
If the “missing” money was spent on the actual campaigns would the people running have won. What kind of theft is that?
posted by: HhE on September 24, 2012 9:44pm
Threefifths, it is one of the basic rules of argumentation that the accusers must provide the proof. The burden of proof is on the State, and not Ms. McKinnie, just as it is incumbent upon you to prove your point before I am obliged to disprove it. The two links you provide speak to the trust and confidence Americans have with their government, and not the level of corruption in government. Indeed, one of the recurring themes is the correlation between that trust and how well the economy is doing. So your evidence is altogether off point.
Again, please recall the difference between legal guilt and moral guilt. I get that you detest The Constitution, but it is a piece of parchment that has done more to advance liberty, freedom, and equality than any other.
posted by: Threefifths on September 25, 2012 9:43am
posted by: HhE on September 24, 2012 9:44pm
Threefifths, it is one of the basic rules of argumentation that the accusers must provide the proof
There is proof.Read the warrent.In fact she has two pending cases.Both have proof.Notice this.McKinnie was the only signatory to the account? McCormack and Mills then spent months piecing together records from the bank reports, from deposit slips, from withdrawals and payments, and matched them to campaign reports. “We rebuilt the entire campaign finance picture,” Mills said in an interview.
In the end they found almost $2,810.70 allegedly unaccounted for. Most of it was withdrawn in small amounts—$20 or $40 at a time—through the use of a Visa debit card, according to McCormack. “There was [one] large charge at Macy’s in New York,” McCormack said.
McKinnie told investigators she had kept the financial records from the campaign for a “length of time,” but she was unable to find them. When confronted with information about $4,270 in missing ATM withdrawals.The proof is call a paper trail.That is the states proof.If she is so innocent then why has Gary not come to her defence? As far as the Constitution My answer to that is read the Dred Scott Decision.It still stands today.
P.S.More proof is comming.
posted by: random on September 26, 2012 9:39am
This entire situation is very unfortunate for all involved. There are no winners in the outcome.
posted by: HhE on September 26, 2012 8:58pm
Threefifths, Dread Scott v. Sanford was made moot by the 14th Amendment, so it has no legal standing today.
I never claimed that Ms. McKinnie was morally innocent. I did explain how the evidence against her in the first warrant could also be taken as proof that she was merely a bad record keeper.
I also affirmed my commitment to the importance of “innocent until proven guilty.” I find it interesting how you disparage her Constitutionally protected rights, yet appear to be such a fan of the courts, law suits, and Mr. Carolina’s rights. When I say “interesting,” I mean as in art one does not like.
You have yet to come even coming close to proving your universalised claim that all politicians (elected or staffers) are a priori corrupt, and thus must be guilty of anything they are charged with. I am obliged to wonder if you even reflect on the meaning of the various links you provide.
I am going to take some advise from “the people,” and stop wasting my time on this. If you wish to have the last word, help yourself. Please, just make sure its worth reading.
posted by: streever on September 27, 2012 8:52am
I thought the NHI had a new and enhanced comment policy to prevent the very type of commenting which 3/5th does on nearly every story.
Kudos to Hhe for trying to steer the ship away from utter madness and inanity.
posted by: HhE on September 27, 2012 9:16am
(Streever: Thanks, Mate. Ugh. While the NHI did not post it, I did also comment and take issue with showing a photo of Ms. McKinnie in handcuffs—I see no need to humiliate her thus. Since then, the NHI has cropped the photo. I never doubt a dogmatic’s ability to hold onto their dogmas, but I worry about the buy in of 3rd parties.)
