Former D.C. Campaign Chief Of Staff To Mayor Suspended

An attorney convicted of a “serious crime” has been suspended on an interim basis by the District of Columbia Court of appeals.

The Washington Post reported on the conviction.

The onetime chief of staff of Vincent C. Gray’s campaign committee admitted to falsely obtaining almost $3,000 in unemployment benefits while still being paid by Gray’s successful 2010 campaign for D.C. mayor.

Stephanie Reich, 40, pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court late Friday to making a false statement to obtain unemployment compensation and was sentenced to 30 days of probation. Reich was charged with the misdemeanor in June.

According to prosecutors, Reich received $2,688 in unemployment compensation from the D.C. Department of Employment Services between September and November 2010. However, during that same period, Reich was paid $18,000 by Gray’s campaign to work as the campaign committee’s chief of staff. Prosecutors say Reich falsely told unemployment agency officials she was not working at the time.

Prosecutors then learned that in 2011, Reich was hired by the D.C. Department of Employment Services as the chief of staff for the agency’s director. Reich was later named the agency’s chief operating officer.

Prosecutors said Reich repaid the money in 2014. In January, Reich, who is also a lawyer, resigned from the agency.

Calls to Reich and to her attorney, Pamela Satterfield, were not returned.