Report: Rep. Corrine Brown Indicted on Corruption Charges
Florida Democrat to face federal charges on Friday
Rep. Corrine Brown has been indicted on federal corruption charges and will appear in Jacksonville Federal Court on Friday, the Orlando Sentinel reported, citing law enforcement sources.
The Florida Democrat, currently in her 12th term, did not respond to reporters’ requests for comment about the federal grand jury indictment, which the Sentinel said remained under seal.
The House Ethics Committee launched a probe of Brown in March over allegations that she used campaign funds for personal purposes, failed to comply with tax laws and made false statements and disclosures to the House and the Federal Election Commission.
[Ethics Committee Launches Probe of Brown ]
It deferred its investigation while the Justice Department conducted its own review.
At the time, Brown called the federal investigation of her financial dealings an “organized effort to take me out.”
“I’m clean,” she said. While the specifics of the indictment are unclear, Brown has come under scrutiny for her connection to a group called One Door for Education. The group labeled itself as a charity but was never registered as a nonprofit.
The president of the organization, Carla Wiley, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in March, and appeared to implicate Brown, alleging that an unnamed lawmaker had personally benefited from funds raised by the organization.
Brown’s 5th District in its current form encompasses Jacksonville, Orlando and Gainesville and is one of the state’s majority-minority districts. It was significantly redrawn last year and Brown faces a competitive primary in August against former state Sen. Al Lawson.