Ex-Florida Congresswoman Corrine Brown Guilty of Phony Scholarship Fraud Scheme

Former Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown was found guilty on 18 fraud and tax evasion charges in Florida Thursday for her role in a conspiracy and fraud scheme involving a fraudulent scholarship charity.

The charges stemmed from accusations she illegally siphoned thousands of dollars from her charity, One Door for Education Foundation Inc., into her own bank account, according to the statement from the Justice Department.

Brown, 70, of Jacksonville, was found not guilty on four of the 22 total charges.

“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. She shamefully deprived needy children of hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have helped with their education and improved their opportunities for advancement, and she lied to the IRS and the American public about secret cash deposits into her personal bank accounts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to fighting corruption and fraud wherever we find it, at all levels of government, regardless of their power and influence.”

Earlier this year, One Door President Carla Wiley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud after it as determined that she had deposited $800,000 into the foundation's account over four years. Over that time, federal prosecutors say it gave one scholarship for $1,000 and that Wiley transferred herself tens of thousands of dollars, reports Fox News.

Brown served as a Florida representative in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017.