Name that party--Washington DC

Washington Post:

FBI agents who descended on the Northwest Washington home of D.C. tax manager Harriette Walters found a nondescript brick rambler, but just inside was the wardrobe of a princess.

The investigators hauled out more than 100 pieces of jewelry, a mink coat and 90 purses -- many of them such designer brands as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci, according to an FBI inventory that was released late yesterday.

Walters, who was arrested in the predawn raid Nov. 7, also had 68 pairs of shoes, designer luggage and other luxury items, the FBI said. Some of the goods were stored in the garage, near a 2006 Mercedes-Benz, where authorities said they found a pair of silver-plated iguana figurines, a silverware set, a Rolex watch and a silver bar cart.

The inventory, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court, provided new insights into the lifestyle of the woman who prosecutors say masterminded the biggest fraud ever perpetrated against the D.C. government: $20 million and counting, they say. It details items seized by nine agents who went through every room of the house near Rock Creek Park.

Walters, 51, co-worker Diane Gustus and four others are charged with taking part in a conspiracy to generate illegal property tax refund checks for themselves. In a separate court filing yesterday, authorities alleged that at least $12.7 million of the stolen money flowed directly into accounts controlled by Walters's niece, Jayrece Turnbull, whom they described as Walters's principal partner in the scam.

The morning of the raids, agents searched the residences of the suspects as well as Walters's fourth-floor work space at the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. There they turned up a designer bag and other items, including a Faberge vase, the FBI reported. The search at the office also uncovered a $410,000 voucher that was written to David Fuss, a lawyer who has said his name was used improperly in the fraud, authorities said.

In their search in the 6800 block of Oregon Avenue NW, the agents often did not specify what they found at the home of Walters, who allegedly racked up $1.4 million in bills at Neiman Marcus on a government salary of $81,000 a year.

They filled 25 boxes with her clothes and listed 414 unidentified pieces in the inventory. While seizing the jewelry from the home, they placed the baubles in boxes in the dark morning hours without immediately cataloguing them.

Agents also collected papers and other records offering tidbits about the little-noticed and now-infamous former manager of the property tax assessment adjustment unit. On desks and inside cabinets were 16 casino cards, used by regular gamblers, for such establishments as Aladdin, Atlantis, MGM Mirage, MGM Grand and Borgata in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the FBI said. The FBI also reported finding a bill from the Trump Taj Mahal.

Chanel appears to be one of Walters's favorite designers. Of the 90 purses that agents seized from her closets and garage, 47 were from the famous French house of couture. The FBI said it seized 13 watches, including the Rolex. Her housewares included numerous flutes and goblets by Steuben and an item identified as a Faberge egg, the inventory stated.

Authorities also found a receipt for a $15,000 cashier's check recently paid to Saks Fifth Avenue. They found another receipt for $20,900 that Walters had deposited in her Bank of America checking account two weeks earlier.

...

The day of the arrests and searches, federal prosecutors said they had confirmed that Walters, Gustus, three of Walters's relatives and another friend had stolen $16 million in 42 phony refunds dating from 2004. The next day, prosecutors said they had found evidence that the group stole a total of at least $20 million using 58 fraudulent checks.

A subsequent Washington Post analysis found $31.7 million in 92 suspicious property tax refund checks from 2000 to 2007, all issued to fictitious companies or for properties that do not exist in the city.

...

It is hard to know where to stop with this story because the descriptions of the various thefts keeps on and on. However you can read all the way to the end of the story and not find a party identification for the alleged thieves. It is Washington, DC and Republican office holders are rare to none existent. My guess is they were Democrats. I wonder if Congress will have an oversight hearing? No, never mine.

Colbert King has a column listing more DC corruption and asking where the outrage is. He even names the party. I like Colbert. He is a fellow veteran and his columns show integrity.