Former House Staffer Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud

Laura I. Flores of Arlington, Virginia, a former office manager for three House Democrats, pleaded guilty on Friday to a single count of wire fraud in US District Court in Alexandria. Flores admitted receiving approximately $200,000 from false expense vouchers she submitted during 2005 and 2006. The vouchers were paid from funds allocated to the three House members to be used for operational expenses; Flores had the funds diverted to her personal bank account. Sentencing is scheduled for May 2, 2008; the DOJ press release is here. A Washington Post story here identifies the three Representatives as Jane Harman, Neil Abercrombie and Jim Costa.