WASHINGTON _ Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff were indicted Friday for their involvement in a scam that involved an education charity.
The Florida Democrat and Elias "Ronnie" Simmons were charged with 24 counts, among them mail and wire fraud, theft of government property, and filing a false tax return.
The indictment alleges that Brown and Simmons solicited donors to give more than $800,000 to a charitable organization that was used "for their own personal and professional benefit," according to the Department of Justice. "Our Office is committed to ferreting out and prosecuting all forms of corruption and fraud, regardless of who the offender is," said U.S. Attorney Lee Bentley III. "In our nation, no one is above the law."
The charity, One Door for Education � Amy Anderson Scholarship Fund, was falsely represented as a non-profit that would use its funds for college scholarships and school computer equipment.
Simmons deposited tens of thousands of dollars into Brown's bank account, according to the indictment. $200,000 of the charity's funds were used to pay for events hosted by Brown, including luxury seats at a concert in D.C. and an NFL game.
Michelle S. Klimt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division, said "public corruption is the FBI's top criminal priority."
"It is incredibly disappointing that an elected official, who took an oath year after year to serve others, would exploit the needs of children and abuse the charitable hearts of constituents to advance her own personal and political agendas and deliver them with virtually nothing," Klimt said.
In March, Brown denied any wrongdoing. "I am clean," Brown said. "Goodness, clean. Yes."
Brown is serving her 12th term in Congress, but her 5th District is one of the state's majority-minority districts and was significantly redrawn this year. Former state Sen. Al Lawson is challenging Brown in a competitive primary on Aug. 30.
