D.A. Cooley’s office won’t file misdemeanors against Kinde Durkee

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Los Angeles County prosecutors said Thursday they will not pursue misdemeanor charges against campaign treasurer Kinde Durkee for allegedly claiming to be an accountant when she did not have a license.

Durkee already has been charged in federal court with mail fraud in connection with the alleged embezzlement of a client’s money, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office noted in a statement.

‘In light of the significant prison time she faces in that case, misdemeanor charges are not warranted as the … violations are not likely to result in additional punishment or time in prison,’ the statement said. ‘Prosecution is declined in the interest of justice.’

Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, said there was no conflict of interest for the prosecutor stemming from Durkee’s work on his political officeholder committee in 2000.

The state attorney general’s office and the Burbank city attorney’s office also have declined to take the case, so the state Board of Accountancy is weighing its options. Those could include giving the case to the U.S. attorney’s office, said Lauren Hersh, a spokeswoman for the board.

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-- Patrick McGreevy, reporting from Sacramento