The one-time president of a prominent abortion-right group was sued Friday by the New York Attorney General’s office for using charity funds for designer shopping sprees, a five-bedroom house rental in the Hamptons and transporting her children to and from school.
The office of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a civil suit in Manhattan that accuses former NARAL Pro-Choice New York president Kelli Conlin of using more than $250,000 in charity funds during her tenure to for her own benefit, despite a compensation package that reached $380,000 in 2010.
Conlin pleaded guilty last year in Manhattan Criminal Court to falsifying business records. She did not receive any jail time and was ordered to pay $75,000 in restitution.
“As a result of her guilty plea last year, Ms. Conlin has been held accountable by this Office — as a felon — for her criminal misconduct. We are pleased that the Attorney General’s Office will now seek the return of additional funds using its civil enforcement powers,” said a spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance.
Conlin and her attorney were not immediately reachable for comment. She was traveling in Michigan and was expected to be served there some time Friday, a law-enforcement official said.
Scheneiderman recused himself from the investigation because of his father’s past association with the organization.
The suit asks that she pay restitution for the damages with interest and be barred permanently from serving as an officer or director of a New York registered not-for-profit.
Conlin served as President of NARAL Pro-Choice New York and its charitable foundation from 1992 to January 2011.
The lawsuit accuses Conlin of falsifying expense reports to conceal personal spending, holding control of outside consultants in charge of managing the organization’s books and intimidating staff members who questioned her expenses.
According to the complaint, Conlin billed for expenses including $75,000 for designer clothing and shoes from luxury stores including Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Giorgio Armani and Bloomingdale’s. She is also accused of seeking reimbursement for a $17,000 house rental in the Hamptons, $44,000 to transport her children from their home in Brooklyn to a school on the Upper West Side and meals at celebrated restaurants such as Daniel and Eleven Madison Park.
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