Corrine Brown, Former Florida Congresswoman, Convicted Of Misusing Charity Funds

Former Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown, who represented Florida for 25 years, was found guilty Thursday of taking money from charity donations that was meant to fund student scholarships. She was convicted in a Jacksonville, Florida, federal court, on 18 of a total of 22 charges against her, including lying on tax and financial disclosure forms.

CBS affiliate WJAX-TV in Jacksonville obtained a statement from FBI's Jacksonville division about the verdict, which said: "Former Congresswoman Brown took an oath year after year to serve others, but instead she exploited the needs of children and deceived her constituents to advance her own personal and political agendas.”

“We thank our law enforcement partners at the IRS-CI and U.S. Attorney's Office for their efforts to hold Brown and her associates accountable for their inexcusable actions,” the statement read.

The charges were filed against her after accusations that she illegally transferred thousands of dollars from her charity into her own bank for lavish trips, shopping and parties.

Brown’s conviction came after an investigation into the charity One Door for Education Foundation Inc., which federal prosecutors said was set up to give scholarships to poor students. Instead, the money was unlawfully used by Brown and her associates.

“Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown violated the public trust, the honor of her position and the integrity of the American system of government when she abused one of the most powerful positions in the nation for her own personal gain,” Kenneth A. Blanco, the acting assistant attorney general, said in a statement, according to the New York Times.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Brown and her associates used the One Door for Education to cash in more than $800,000 between the years 2012 and 2016. Brown's conviction said the Virginia-based charity gave out only one scholarship for $1,200 to an unidentified person in Florida.

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Brown served Florida in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 until 2017, but did not win in the 2016 primary race. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against her, including fraud. Her former chief of staff, Elias "Ronnie" Simmons, who was also the charity's president, pleaded guilty following the accusations about illegally using the charity’s funds for their personal needs and he testified against Brown.

The former Congresswoman, however, denied the allegations and said she was left in the dark about what was going on with One Door's money, and blamed the theft on Simmons and her other staffers. She said she should have paid more attention and been involved with the dealings of her professional and personal finances.

On Thursday, Brown's attorney James Smith provided WJAX-TV a statement on her behalf which said:

“I did not commit these crimes, and I intend to file a motion for a new trial,” she said. “This fight is not over, and as I’m sure you know, I will continue to fight to clear my name and restore my reputation.”

Reports said Brown would not be sent to prison immediately, but she is expected to be sentenced in about three months.