Another Democratic swindler

Leave a CommentAnother Democratic swindlerCorruption, Featured, Politics

Katherine Margaret Buchanan, a 59-year-old Alexandria, Virginia, resident and veteran political campaign compliance consultant, pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, to embezzling over $840,000 in campaign contributions from three federal candidates and committing tax evasion. Having served as treasurer for various political campaigns and PACs for over 20 years, Buchanan exploited her access to misappropriate funds between 2020 and 2024. Her methods included using campaign funds for personal credit card payments, making personal purchases with campaign credit cards, paying third parties for personal enrichment, and transferring funds to her personal bank accounts. The embezzled money funded luxury expenses like airline tickets to Italy, concert tickets, yacht tours, dining, landscaping, aesthetic services, clothing, a Peloton bike, and legal fees.

Buchanan also admitted to underreporting her income to the IRS, evading $671,000 in taxes. Her guilty plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. in the Eastern District of Virginia. She faces up to five years in prison for each charge—embezzlement and tax evasion—with sentencing scheduled for October 8, 2025. The actual sentence will likely be influenced by U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors, often resulting in less than the maximum penalty.

The Justice Department did not name the affected candidates in its release, but Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner confirmed Buchanan’s involvement with their campaigns. Kaine’s campaign, Kaine for Virginia, fired Buchanan after federal authorities alerted them in April 2025, suspecting her of keeping incorrect records. The campaign reported to the FEC that Buchanan attempted to repay $18,607 on May 24 and $137,967 on June 4, though it’s unclear if these amounts fully cover the misappropriated funds. Warner’s Forward Together PAC also terminated Buchanan and is conducting an audit, having been alerted to the issue concurrently. Both campaigns notified the FEC and law enforcement and hired new compliance firms.

This case echoes past scandals, like that of Kinde Durkee, a Democratic treasurer sentenced in 2012 for embezzling millions, including from Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s campaign. Buchanan’s actions highlight ongoing vulnerabilities in campaign finance oversight, with Kaine and Warner’s committees among at least four Democratic entities suspecting misappropriation. The FEC is aware but has not commented publicly, and the FBI and IRS declined to confirm ongoing investigations.

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