SEATTLE - The former executive director of a state Senate Democratic campaign committee was given a two-year sentence Tuesday for embezzling as much as $330,000 in campaign contributions. Much of the money was spent at casinos.
Michael King was ordered to spend half his sentence in prison, where he must undergo alcohol and gambling addiction treatment, The Seattle Times reported. The other half will be spent in community custody, the state's version of parole. If he violates his release conditions, he will be sent to prison to serve the full term.
He must also pay $250,000 restitution.
The 32-year-old pleaded guilty in October to multiple theft counts. King County prosecutors said he was able to swindle the campaign fund by requesting reimbursement for faked expenses.
Charging papers indicate King began embezzling on March 28, 2011, weeks after he was hired as executive director of the statewide organization that was established to help Democratic incumbents and candidates win election to the state Senate. - AP
The thefts weren't uncovered until after the November 2012 election when King sought to be reimbursed for thousands of dollars he said had been paid to online polling and auto-dialing companies, court documents said.
The board of the campaign committee hired a law firm to investigate. It found King had been depositing campaign money into his own bank account.
Court records say police detectives found he had made multiple withdrawals at area casinos.
