Harman aide gets reduced sentence

A former aide to Reps. Jane Harman (D-Venice) and Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) was sentenced to six months in prison Friday after prosecutors petitioned to reduce her penalty in exchange for help with an inquiry into whether lawmakers used congressional staff members and resources to support their political campaigns, according to a source familiar with the case.

Laura Flores faced nearly two years in prison after pleading guilty in January to wire fraud for embezzling $200,000 from official accounts controlled by her then-employers. Flores submitted phony expense reports for photocopier cartridges, magazine subscriptions and database access between January 2005 and December 2006, according to government court filings.

In the course of plea negotiations, Flores provided testimony and documents as part of a previously unreported Justice Department investigation into whether members of Congress used phones, supplies and staff time for campaign purposes, according to the source.

Investigators also are looking into whether members of Congress directed their staffs to perform personal errands on government time, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was at an early stage.

Congressional aides are prohibited from raising money or participating in campaign activities while on the government payroll, said election law expert Lawrence Noble.

Timothy Coleman, Flores’ attorney at Dewey & LeBoeuf in Washington, said, “Laura Flores is relieved that the case is now behind her.”

Flores earned $132,000 in 2006, the last year for which her pay information was available on the database LegiStorm.

A Harman spokesman did not return calls.