Former House Staffer Sentenced For Embezzlement, Helps In New Investigation

Laura I. Flores of Arlington, Virginia, a former congressional office manager for House Democrats Jane Harman of California and Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, was sentenced on Friday to six months in prison for wire fraud by US District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema in Alexandria. Flores, who pleaded guilty to a single wire fraud count in January (earlier), admitted receiving approximately $200,000 from false expense vouchers she submitted during 2005 and 2006 and diverting the funds to her personal account.

The Washington Post story here reports that prosecutors filed petitions to reduce her sentence because she is helping them with a previously unreported investigation into whether members of Congress used phones, supplies and staff time for campaign purposes. The motions were filed under seal.