That was the headline I wrote a few years ago for a column on a big teachers union’ scandal in Washington, D.C., which occurred while the MSM was having seizures over the purported looting of Iraqi antiquities. The Iraqi looting story turned out to be largely bogus, as you know. Meanwhile, the D.C. embezzlement scandal has quietly exploded and top officials are now on trial, which kicked off this week.

Here’s a reminder of the spending binges the public education corruptocrats went on (from an FBI affidavit regarding former Washington teachers’ union prez, Barbara Bullock, who plead guilty and is serving nine years in prison):

“Among (her) purchases were: a $20,000 mink coat, along with other mink coats that . . . have been stored at Miller Furs in Chevy Chase, Maryland; nearly $500,000 in custom-made clothing from a Baltimore clothing maker known as Van Style . . . more than $9,000 at retailer Bloomingdales; more than $9,000 for clothing and accessories from a Florida vendor known as Body Scentre Limited; more than $11,000 in purchases from a retailer known as Friedman’s Shoes in Atlanta, Georgia; more than $5,000 to Galt Brothers Jewelry in Washington, D.C.; more than $5,000 to Graffiti AudioVideo for electronic equipment; more than $12,000 at retailer Hecht Company; more than $3,000 at the Hermes Boutique in Vienna, Virginia . . . ”

Wait, there’s more:

“(M)ore than $5,000 for bedding and a desk pad from the Horchow Collection; more than $6,000 to vendor J. Crew; more than $15,000 . . . for St. John Knit apparel; more than $4,000 for merchandise from Little Switzerland JNU, in Juneau, Alaska; more than $60,000 to MS Rau Antiques in New Orleans, Louisiana (including $57,000 for a 288-piece Tiffany sterling silver set); more than $17,000 to Miller Furs; more than $150,000 at retailer Neiman-Marcus; more than $50,000 at retailer Nordstrom; more than $4,000 at beauty salon Oriental Oasis; more than $25,000 for services of the Parkway Custom Dry Cleaners in Chevy Chase, Maryland; more than $9,000 to Ramee Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.; more than $40,000 at retailer Saks Fifth Avenue; more than $50,000 at a vendor known as Snazzy Limited in Orange Park, Florida; more than $4,000 at the St. John Boutique in Beverly Hills, California, and New York, New York; more than $2,500 for china or crystal from The Lenox Shop in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Prince William, Virginia; more than $6,000 in gourmet kitchen equipment from retailer Williams-Sonoma; almost $4,000 to jeweler Tiffany & Co.; more than $20,000 to the Atlanta gallery of the artist William Tolliver; and more than $7,000 to Wagner Opticians.”

Bullock spread the wealth to friends and family. According to the FBI agent, her sister received “a two-door, French, hand-painted armoire” from an Alexandria, Va., antiques dealer, Tradition de France. Bullock’s driver and errand boy, Leroy Holmes, received checks “totaling in excess of $1,000,000, which he converted to cash to pay himself more than $90,000 per year, plus additional funds to maintain and pay for personal vehicles, and provide cash to others.”

All “for the children,” eh?