FL-05, 10: A couple of months ago, federal investigators served Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown with a subpoena while she dined at a barbecue restaurant in her hometown of Jacksonville. While Brown is usually chatty, this time she refused to say what prosecutors were looking for, citing the advice of her attorneys. She did, however, suggest that the inquiry was linked to her lawsuit fighting a recent court ruling that redrew her congressional district, conspiratorially claiming that her seat is "under siege by other political forces."
Now, though, a local news station based in Orlando, WFTV, has uncovered documents that, it says, point to the true nature of the investigation. According to the station, a Virginia-based group called One Door for Education used Brown's name and the seal of the U.S. House on invitations to fundraisers and receptions, and they even used Brown's official letterhead on one occasion. House rules forbid the use of official insignia for such solicitations. (Charlie Rangel was censured by the House in part for similar violations.)
And just two days after WFTV's report, the head of One Door for Education, Carla Wiley, pleaded guilty to charges that she conspired to commit wire fraud. According to prosecutors, One Door took in $800,000 in donations but only issued a single $1,000 scholarship in furtherance of its supposed mission. Brown was not indicted in the Wiley case, but other court filings refer to a "Person A" who is likely the congresswoman. Among other things, these documents refer to a public official who put together a golf tournament for One Door at TPC Sawgrass in July 2013—an event Brown indeed hosted, raising over $100,000.
Nothing has yet surfaced that directly implicates Brown in any wrongdoing, though her office has still declined to comment. However, the investigation is ongoing, and in a sign of serious potential trouble for Brown, Wiley's plea deal includes an agreement to "testify in a larger ongoing probe," according to the Orland Sentinel. If Wiley has incriminating information that points a finger at Brown, federal prosecutors—for whom there are few bigger prizes than taking down a federal elected official—will be most eager to act on it.
Brown still hasn’t confirmed whether she’ll seek re-election in the redrawn 5th (which still includes Jacksonville), or head down to the new 10th, which is now based in the Orlando area. But depending on how this investigation goes, she may be faced with an entirely different third alternative.
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