Grand Rapids — Traci Kornak goes by a lot of names these days:
Former Michigan Democratic Party Treasurer
Abuser of a brain-damaged old lady
Alleged embezzler of a court-appointed ward
Co-conspirator with Attorney General Dana Nessel
Fashion Plate
Kornak, who is facing 25 years in prison for the alleged looting of the old woman’s retirement, was required to appear Wednesday in Kent County District Court.
But as the hour struck 9 o’clock, Kornak was no where to be seen. She was cowering in a courtroom broom closet or some such. Meanwhile, the surviving sisters of Rose Burd skulked the halls demanding justice.
Kornak eventually emerged from the bowels and presented herself before the judge. She was wearing a sensible coat; not the flaming fuchsia peacoat she wore at a previous hearing that helped make her the pariah of the internet.
Kornak must have combed social media, because on this occasion she wore a dark parka with sturdy stitching and a brass zipper. Something much more appropriate for a defendant accused of the financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult of more than $50,000.
Nevertheless, the back of Kornak’s head cried out for a competent brushing. If you feel I’ve gone too far, dear reader, then read on. You might agree that I have not gone far enough. Not when you consider what was further discovered at the morning’s gathering.
The old woman’s sisters produced a document showing that nearly $250,000 in insurance settlement money awarded to Rose after a catastrophic car accident may never have found its way into Burd’s bank account.
Further, the last will and testament of Rose has been unearthed. Kornak had rewritten the document without the court’s permission, and an agent of the court was tasked with finding it. The new will shows that two of Rose’s surviving three sisters have been written out of the inheritance. Meanwhile, Kornak herself, is named as the beneficiary of Burd’s estate.
Huddled in the hallway, the sister’s shuddered at the abuse they imagined their sister Rose suffered at the end of her life.
“Kornak took out the lightbulbs in my sister’s room,” said Pat Van Wagner. “Why would she do that? There’s no life in that.”
“How would Kornak like to be locked in a room with no lights?” asked her youngest sister, Debbie Valenti. “Rose had to have been so terrified she didn’t say nothing.”
Kornak is due back in court for her preliminary exam next month. Friday the 13th.
Charlie LeDuff is a reporter educated in public schools. Follow him on X @Charlieleduff.
