Ex-Kennedy Aide Convicted of Fraud, Theft
- Posted on February 1, 2011 at 3:37pm by
Meredith Jessup
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WASHINGTON (AP) — A former aide to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy was found guilty Tuesday by a federal jury of stealing more than $75,000 from the Senate by giving himself unauthorized salary and bonuses.
Ngozi Pole, Kennedy’s former office manager, was convicted on all five counts of wire fraud and a single count of theft of government property.
Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The theft of government property charge has a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for July 14.
As office manager, Pole, of Waldorf, Md., was responsible for sending staff salary and bonus information to the Senate Disbursing Office. Prosecutors said during the trial that Pole submitted false paperwork for unauthorized pay and bonuses from 2003 to 2007. Only Kennedy or his chief of staff were authorized to approve salary and bonus payments.
Pole covered up the excess payments he made to himself by providing false documentation to Kennedy’s chief of staff, prosecutors said during the trial.
“He knew he held the keys to the budget and he could do what he wanted without anyone being the wiser,” prosecutor Ethan Levisohn said during closing arguments.
Pole was paid nearly $90,000 in authorized salary and bonuses in fiscal year 2006, prosecutors said.
“But that wasn’t enough for him,” said prosecutor Deborah Mayer. “He wanted more. So he took more.”
The trial shed light on some of the inner workings of Kennedy’s office, which for decades was one of the busiest and most powerful in the Senate.
Pole testified that he handled payroll, bonus and other budgetary matters for the office with little or no guidance from his superiors, who he said were too busy focusing on other matters.
“I was forced to do a lot of guessing to get my job done,” said Pole.
He said the marching orders in Kennedy’s high-pressure, fast-paced office were simple: get things done.
It was standard practice to “spend down” any surplus in Kennedy’s annual office budget to a zero balance at the end of each fiscal year, Pole said.
Pole said the excess payments he made to himself were part of his efforts to “spend down” surplus funds. He also gave “spend down” bonuses to some other staffers and bought additional office equipment as part of that effort, without approval from his bosses.
Prosecutors, however, said Pole received lists from his bosses showing which staffers were approved for bonuses and the amounts.
Kennedy usually paid staffers holiday bonuses around Christmas that generally ranged from $1,000 to $2,000 per employee, prosecutors said. Staffers also got bonuses at the end of the fiscal year ranging from $3,000 to $5,000.
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ejjensen
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 1:00pmunbeleivable. REALLY. no way a kennedy aide? Hummmmmm.
Report Post »empty13
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 8:34pmif poor ted was alive, he could take pole for a moonlight drive.
Report Post »ADNIL
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 6:40pm“Spend down”. I guess thats a governmental euphemism for STEALING? How about WASTEFUL SPENDING? Or FRAUD? No wonder we’re BROKE!
Report Post »Billsocal
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 5:18pmRemember folks that Papa Kennedy was a bootlegger. Some of it had to rub off on Teddy and his other sons. Sen Kennedy was part of the Congress who though it okay to spend the Social Security Trust Fund to make the budget deficits look smaller.
Report Post »historypaper
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 2:39pmIt is clearly the runaway inflation fears that led Ngozi Pole, Kennedy’s former office manager to steal from the American people. Kennedy did the same thing, inevitably, by passing theft by taking laws resulting in the re-distribution of wealth. The under-paid Ngozi Pole was in political chaos as the liberal lion was almost dead and gone. Throughout the twentieth century the Kennedy family made sure their bank account was full of other people money and do did Ngozi.
Report Post »Cog
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 11:20am“It was standard practice to “spend down” any surplus in Kennedy’s annual office budget to a zero balance at the end of each fiscal year, Pole said.”
Report Post »STANDARD PRACTICE !!! For starts, maybe we could make it a felony to “spend down.” What thieves!
hempstead1944
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 8:41amJust more confirmation of what we already knew……
Report Post »Moment of Clarity
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 7:38amit‘s common knowledge that if you have a gov’t budget to work with, you best spend it all this year or else you’ll get funded that much less next year – this is true if you are in a gov‘t position or if you are a gov’t contractor – If you spend less than what’s allocated your organization, the amount you don’t spend will be cut from your allocation the following year – it’s SOP (standard operating procedure) with any gov’t budget – if you spend less that your budget, you are not considered a hero for saving taxpayer dollars, you are considered to be working against your department or your company
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 7:22amNo surprise there. I am sure he got plenty of training under the Kennedys—all except on how not to get caught.
Report Post »Fina Biscotti
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 1:30amAnother scumbag in government….working for a bigger scumbag who made his US Senate seat…… to be no different than a toilet seat.
Report Post »taebaggranny
Posted on February 2, 2011 at 1:21amAnd we are surprized that there was a crook working for the chief crook?
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