Community Board Worker Resigns After Using Funds To Buy Kindles, Pay Husband

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — An employee for Manhattan Community Board 6 has resigned after 16 years for misusing funds, the city Conflicts of Interest Board announced Wednesday.

Karen Ward-Gamble was community associate for CB 6 — which represents the neighborhoods east of Lexington Avenue between East 59th and 14th streets. As part of her job, she was given control of the community board's expense fund in order to reimburse employees, according to a COIB disposition.

But starting in 2013, Ward-Gamble started to play fast and loose with the account, according to the city investigative board. In December of 2013 Ward-Gamble purchased a Kindle Fire using $379 of the board's money, she admitted to the COIB. The next month Ward-Gamble once again dipped into the board's account for a second Kindle Fire, valued at $199, and a Kindle case and memory card, valued at $108.

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During this time she also authorized $200 to be paid to her husband for driving her to meetings and rearranging furniture for CB 6, according to the COIB.

Between December 2012 and December 2014, Ward-Gamble also made "extensive use" of the community board's digital camera for personal reasons such as documenting family events, she admitted to the COIB.

In total, Ward-Gamble expensed $886 for items purchased for her own personal use, according to the COIB disposition.

Community Board 6 accepted Ward-Gamble's resignation as sufficient punishment for her inappropriate uses of the board's money, according to the COIB. The digital camera and Kindles were also returned to the community board, according to the city agency.

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