JACKSONVILLE — Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown’s longtime chief of staff has pleaded guilty to charges related to what prosecutors have called a phony charity turned into a personal slush fund.
The Florida Times-Union reports that 51-year-old Elias “Ronnie” Simmons pleaded guilty Wednesday to fraud conspiracy and theft. He had faced 18 counts in a July indictment.
Brown, who represented parts of Orlando before her defeat in the primary last year, was charged at the same time. She has pleaded not guilty, and her trial is scheduled for April.
The charges followed an investigation into the purported charity One Door for Education.
Federal prosecutors say it was billed as a way to give scholarships to poor students but instead filled the coffers of Brown and her associates.
Brown has maintained her innocence of the charges.
Democrats held a last-ditch, 24-hour Senate debate in hope of shaking loose one additional vote.
Democrats held a last-ditch, 24-hour Senate debate in hope of shaking loose one additional vote.
Betsy DeVos’ confirmation marks the first time a vice president’s tie-breaking vote was needed to confirm a presidential Cabinet appointment. Feb. 7, 2017.
Betsy DeVos’ confirmation marks the first time a vice president’s tie-breaking vote was needed to confirm a presidential Cabinet appointment. Feb. 7, 2017.
In a blog post in July before she lost the primary, Brown suggested that race played a factor in the charges against her, while also trying to remind voters of what she’s done for them.
"I’m not the first black elected official to be persecuted and, sad to say, I won’t be the last. … Despite all the heartache my family and I have experienced, I want you to know that I’m still in the fight to provide the representation you deserve in Washington,” she wrote.
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