Corrine Brown under investigation for Ethics Violations

[Cheshire Cat]

From today's news:

"She knew exactly how to lie to these donors, and knew exactly where the cash money was going," Assistant U.S. Attorney Tysen Duva said Wednesday in his opening statement.

Federal prosecutors opened their case by saying that Brown and her associates used One Door to bring in more than $800,000 between 2012 and 2016. They said much of that money was used for lavish trips, $13,582 for tickets to a Beyoncé concert, $15,000 for tickets to a Washington Redskins-Jacksonville Jaguars game, $55,594 for a golf tournament/fundraiser at TPC Sawgrass, shopping excursions in Beverly Hills and other personal expenses.

Duva said evidence will show that more than $140,000 in cash was deposited into Brown's account that didn't come from her salary or retirement income.

Brown's defense portrayed her as an aging lawmaker who was duped by her former chief of staff, Elias "Ronnie" Simmons, who she treated like a son and who handled many of her personal and professional affairs.

For full story click link:  http://www.news4jax.com/news/susie-wiles-to-testify-thursday-in-corrine-brown-corruption-trial

[Tacachale]

So you think she's going to do some hard time?

I think the prosecutor's got his work cut out for him proving that Brown did all they're claiming she did. It would be pretty easy to just say the aides who actually moved the money were the ones responsible, and she was in the dark about it and thought it was on the up and up.

They have taken their time and done the homework.  When her long time aid and buddy flipped on her, that was the opening they needed.  The records don't lie and they have records.

LOL, so you've seen the evidence? The Feds tend to be pretty hyperbolic no matter what evidence they have.

[Cheshire Cat]

So you think she's going to do some hard time?

I think the prosecutor's got his work cut out for him proving that Brown did all they're claiming she did. It would be pretty easy to just say the aides who actually moved the money were the ones responsible, and she was in the dark about it and thought it was on the up and up.

They have taken their time and done the homework.  When her long time aid and buddy flipped on her, that was the opening they needed.  The records don't lie and they have records.

LOL, so you've seen the evidence? The Feds tend to be pretty hyperbolic no matter what evidence they have.

I have done years and years of research on her activities and pretty well know her backdoor gaming. Many a document has passed through my hands to authorities. There is so much that the public does not know about Corrine's dealings.  We will see soon enough whether or not she walks away from this mess.  She has skirted the law in the past but I don't believe she will be able to do so again.  She is of no political value to either the Dem's or the R's right now and that will have a huge impact on how this goes down.

[Cheshire Cat]

From today's testimony:

Simmons responded by sending a letter detailing the history of the charity. In that letter, it said the group funded scholarships for students in Loudon County, Va., who wanted to pursue teaching.

Bondi said she told Alcalde the group was eligible to receive money from the firm's political action committee. She said Alcalde decided to donate $25,000 — with the understanding that it would pay for scholarships.

When asked if anyone ever told her the money would be deposited into the personal account of Brown, she replied: "Absolutely not."

Brown's attorney, James Smith, asked if Simmons told her whether the money would be used to help pay for an event in Charlotte, N.C.

Bondi said her understanding was the event would highlight the work of One Door, but that the money was to solely pay for scholarships.

Prosecutors then called Michael Ward, the former CEO of CSX.

Ward said Brown was one of several key members of Congress he developed a relationship with while working for the railroad company. He said he had "more of a business relationship" with Brown than a personal one.

Ward said he first heard of One Door in January 2013. He said his office received a letter asking for donations for sending people to Obama's inauguration. After he received the letter, he said Brown told him about a different cause during a personal conversation in his office.

Instead, Brown told him the money would pay for iPads for students who had good attendance or earned good grades. He said he thought that was an appropriate cause and cut a $10,000 check.

Ward would make another $10,000 donation in July in relation to a golf tournament fundraiser, as well as a $10,000 donation in July 2015 after receiving a letter from Brown's office seeking money for a student trip to China.

"If anyone told you your donations would be for the personal use of Brown, would you have made them?" asked lead prosecutor A. Tysen Duva.

"Absolutely not," Ward replied.

Prosecutors presented a third check from Ward made out to One Door for Education.

For full story click this link:  http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2017-04-27/witnesses-agree-money-donated-scholarships-not-corrine-brown-s-personal-use?utm_medium=social&utm_source=The_Florida_Times-Union

[Cheshire Cat]

More insights from today's testimony.

A whopping $330,000 — that's how much prosecutors said sham charity One Door for Education spent on nine events connected to former Congresswoman Corrine Brown between 2012 and 2015.

Jurors heard testimony Thursday from an FBI investigator and donors, detailing spending on lavish parties, a Beyonce concert and VIP seats for a Jaguars game.

Prosecutors argue business leaders and philanthropists donated money to One Door with the understanding it would go to scholarships and opportunities for disadvantaged students. But FBI investigators said bank records and tax documents show just $10,000 of all the donations actually went to that mission. A little more than $1,000 made it to students' education out of the more than $800,000 One Door raised during its operation.

Click link for full report.  http://news.wjct.org/post/prosecutor-brown-fraud-trial-sham-charity-raised-330k-roughly-1k-went-education

[Cheshire Cat]

One Door's founder admits 'charity' was slush fund for Corrine Brown
Carla Wiley testifies Monday in former congresswoman's trial


Click link for story:
http://www.news4jax.com/news/investigations/corrine-brown/inner-circle-testimony-looms-as-case-preps-for-another-week

[Cheshire Cat]

Corrine Brown aide: former congresswoman directed cash into her account

Click link for full story and updates on the trial.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2017-05-01/corrine-brown-aide-former-congresswoman-directed-cash-her-account#gig_comment_id=05dcca66762f497688de4878da056651

[edjax]

From today, there sure seem to be an awful lot of connections to one Mr Reginald Gaffney and his not for profit.  Perhaps will lead to further investigation of him??

[Cheshire Cat]

From today, there sure seem to be an awful lot of connections to one Mr Reginald Gaffney and his not for profit.  Perhaps will lead to further investigation of him??

He is already being investigated. 

[Cheshire Cat]

A composed and collected Simmons testified Wednesday morning that he had been signing blank checks from the Friends of Corrine Brown PAC account and handing them to Brown since 1993.

He said he didn't have access to her personal bank account, but he did have access to her congressional account and that he controlled the Friends of Corrine Brown account and the One Door for Education Foundation account. The unregistered One Door charity is at the center of the government's case against Brown.

Federal investigators said the foundation, billed as a way to give scholarships to poor students, raised $833,000, but only gave out one $1,200 scholarship.

For full story:  http://www.news4jax.com/news/investigations/corrine-brown/browns-former-chief-of-staff-to-tesify-about-diverting-charity-funds_

[Cheshire Cat]

Update: 5:10 p.m.: Former Jacksonville Sheriff Nathaniel Glover, president of Edward Waters College, told jurors Wednesday afternoon the school had no records that former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown donated $9,500 in cash to the school in 2011, even though Brown claimed the donation on her tax returns.



Prosecutors showed Glover a letter from the school thanking Brown for the donation, which also served as an official record she could use to deduct the donation from her taxes.

High-profile donors say Brown personally directed money to bogus charity, assured them of its charitable work
Corrine Brown's trial features big-name witnesses to test charges
"President Glover, do you find that letter troubling" asked lead prosecutor A. Tysen Duva.

"Yes," Glover replied.

Prosecutors ended the sixth day of their case with testimony from employees and former employees of Edward Waters College, the Community Rehabilitation Center and the Clara White Mission.

Brown claimed on her tax forms to donate tens of thousands of dollars in cash to those nonprofits between 2011 and 2014. The witnesses said they had no records of any cash donations for those years.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2017-05-03/witnesses-deny-corrine-brown-donated-money-organizations

[thelakelander]

Friday Update: After emotional testimony, Corrine Brown says, 'Pray for me'

Brown, 70, represented a Jacksonville congressional district from 1993-2016. She lost re-election after she was indicted last summer. On the stand, she said she didn't know about the scheme until after the indictment was filed, and that her only mistake was being too trusting of Simmons, and perhaps too laissez-faire about her personal finances.

"I got so busy ... that I wasn't taking care of Corrine's business," she said. "I made mistakes -- not paying close attention, and not taking care of me."

Duva pointed out in cross-examination that being a member of Congress is a demanding job that requires high intelligence -- the opposite of the portrait Brown sought to portray of herself on Thursday.

Duva pointed out that Brown had mastered the intricacies of the complicated federal budget process, and been successful over her decades in office in winning money and jobs for her district.

"You had a slogan. What was the slogan?" Duva asked Brown.

"Corrine delivers," she responded.

Full article: http://www.news4jax.com/news/on-stand-corrine-brown-blames-theft-on-top-aide

[Cheshire Cat]

Oh Jacksonville!

Judge excuses juror in Corrine Brown trial after complaints over comments about 'higher beings'

PDATE: 3:05 p.m.: Jurors in former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown's fraud trial asked Wednesday about the proof needed to convict a defendant of mail fraud.



The law lays out four components of fraud, and the jurors wanted to know whether the government had to show a defendant was involved in all four.

See Also

Removal of juror resets deliberations in Corrine Brown's federal trial
21 jurors eliminated from Corrine Brown fraud trial jury pool
The answer is yes, attorneys for both sides told U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan, who said it might be the shortest answer he had ever delivered to a jury question.

It wasn't an exciting question, but the jury's decision about that is important. There are seven counts of mail fraud, and each carries a potential sentence of 20 years behind bars.

Mail fraud involves sending material through the mail or with a carrier like FedEx to cheat another person out of money. Several witnesses were asked during Brown's trial about lealets or letters seeking donations to the sham charity One Door for Education, and about checks that were sent overnight between states.

UPDATE: 11:20 a.m.: Jurors in former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown's fraud trial asked the judge Wednesday morning about Brown's responsibility for information on her tax forms if she didn't fill out the forms herself.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan essentially told the jury to go back and read the directions they were given when they started deliberating.

Among the 22 counts Brown faces are three charges of filing a false tax return. A fourth count charges that she obstructed the administration of tax laws by filing returns that claimed deductible donations for thousands of dollars of giving she didn't do and underreported her income.

Brown acknowledged last week that some of the donations on her returns, including a $5,000 gift to the sham charity One Door for Education, never happened.

But Brown said she had relied on staff from her congressional office to put together information that a tax preparer used. She said she didn't know why the deductions were on her tax returns.

When the jury question was read at 11:10 a.m., Corrigan asked attorneys for both sides for their thoughts, and both said the judge should reference the directions the jury already had.

UPDATE: 10:40 a.m.: U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan excused a juror Wednesday in former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown's federal fraud trial after receiving a complaint the previous night from another juror who said a colleague had talked for days about "higher beings" and Brown.

Click link for full story.

http://jacksonville.com/metro/news/2017-05-10/judge-excuses-juror-corrine-brown-trial-after-complaints-over-comments-about

[Cheshire Cat]

Verdict in on Corrine Brown trial.  To be announced in about 5 minutes.

[thelakelander]

Any predictions?