ALBANY, NY — Nana Clark, 49, the treasurer for the Albany County Democratic Committee, was arrested Wednesday and charged with third-degree grand larceny for allegedly charging roughly $20,000 in unauthorized expenses on a party committee credit card.
Clark, also known as Nana Lukengu-Corts, was taken into custody by Albany County sheriff deputies outside the Albany County Board of Elections, where she is employed. She was arraigned in city court and could not be reached for comment.
Suspicion arose months ago when party officials noticed discrepancies in the committee’s bank statements, which seemed inconsistent with reported income. Following the committee’s annual golf tournament in August, a review uncovered numerous credit card transactions unrelated to committee activities.
Jacob Crawford, Albany County Democratic Chair, said Clark resigned after the irregularities were found. She had served as treasurer for nearly eight years. “The party immediately informed law enforcement and the state Board of Elections,” Crawford said, adding that new financial controls are now in place and an interim treasurer has been appointed.
Clark was a standout basketball player at the College of Saint Rose from 1998 to 2001 and was named the best Division II women’s player by the Women’s Division II Bulletin. She also represented Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Clark ranks as the second-highest scorer in Saint Rose women’s basketball history and was inducted into their Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
