Democratic candidate accused of stealing $2 million from his own law firm

Democratic candidate accused of stealing $2 million from his own law firm

A New York State Senate candidate from Long Island is being accused of billing his own legal firm for services never rendered, effectively stealing millions of dollars. David Denenberg (D) is being accused of amassing over $2 million in fictitious bills, according to a lawsuit filed by the law firm of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron.

Denenberg is accused of creating an elaborate scheme to file fake legal bills, even going so far as to create pretend court orders complete with forged judges’ signatures.

Via the Daily News:

A Long Island state Senate candidate who promises voters that “Nobody Works Harder!” stole $2 million by routinely billing for lawyering that never happened, his own law firm charges.

David Denenberg, a Nassau County legislator who’s running for the Senate as a Democrat, created an elaborate narrative to justify years of fake bills, according to a lawsuit the firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron filed Tuesday.

The firm alleges Denenberg even drafted pretend court orders and forged judges’ signatures to justify some of his make-believe billing.

Denenberg, 51, was fired, and the matter was referred to Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, according to the law firm. Her office declined comment Monday.

In their blistering lawsuit, Denenberg’s former colleagues called him a “criminal mastermind still inexcusably running for public office.”

Denenberg is running against Republican Mike Venditto for the seat vacated last year by Republican Charles Fuschillo Jr.

The vacant-seat race is a crucial contest as Democrats and Republicans vie for control of the Senate.

The NYGOP responded to the accusations with the following statement blasting New York’s governor, attorney general, and comptroller in the process:

“It’s ironic that the same day Eric Schneiderman announced an ad campaign that absurdly claims that he’s cleaning up Albany, and the day after the State Democratic Party named a witness tamperer its Chair, another Democrat has been accused of corruption,” said NYGOP spokesman David Laska.

“Andrew Cuomo corrupted his own corruption commission while Eric Schneiderman and Tom DiNapoli turned a blind eye, allowing Democrats’ Culture of Corruption to flourish unabated. David Denenberg would fit right in with Albany Democrats’ cesspool. You’ve got to wonder: where do Democrats keep finding these people?”

Denenberg has vowed to fight the accusations, but in the meantime has dropped out of the race.

Cross-posted at the Mental Recession

Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss

Rusty Weiss is editor of the Mental Recession, one of the top conservative blogs of 2012. His writings have appeared at the Daily Caller, American Thinker, FoxNews.com, Big Government, the Times Union, and the Troy Record.

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