JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida and her chief of staff have been charged with multiple fraud and other federal offenses after a federal investigation into a fraudulent Virginia charity with ties to her.
Brown, 69, was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy, obstruction and filing of false tax returns in connection with the One Door for Education Foundation Inc., headed by its president, Carla Wiley. Wiley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on March 4, 2016.
Federal prosecutors say Wiley deposited $800,000 into the foundation’s account over he span of four years but only gave out one scholarship for $1,000 gave the total of $200 to needy children. The rest was divided up between Brown, Wiley and Brown’s chief of staff, Elias ‘Ronnie’ Simmons.
Simmons, 50, of Laurel, Maryland, was also charged in the 24-count indictment. He has served as Brown’s chief of staff since 1993.
Assistant U.S. Attorney General Leslie Caldwell, chief of the Justice Department’s criminal division, called the $800,000 in donations “a personal slush fund,” saying “corruption erodes the public’s trust in our entire system of representative government.”
In addition to donations, prosecutors say money flowed into the nonprofit from Brown’s campaign, “Friends of Corrine Brown,” and her “Florida Delivers Leadership PAC. “At times,” feds say, Brown’s personal account was also used.
According to court documents, Wiley transferred $123,000 into her own personal bank account, made cash withdrawals of about $27,000, and had the nonprofit make about $16,000 in car payments on her behalf. Simmons allegedlu used a debit card to make tens of thousands of dollars in withdrawals from the charity account– from an ATM down the street from his home– which he then deposited into Brown’s bank accounts. Court documents also charge that he had expensive car repairs performed on his personal vehicle, and that he and Wiley used charity funds to take a vacation together.
According to the indictment, more than $200,000 in One Door funds were used to pay for events hosted by Brown or held in her honor, including a golf tournament, lavish receptions during an annual Washington conference and the use of luxury boxes for a concert and an NFL game in the Washington area.
The Associated Press secured documents from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s office which showed that he received an invitation bearing the seal of the House of Representatives to a July 13, 2013 golf tournament called the “Corrine Brown Invitational.” It was sponsored by the One Door organization.
Potential donors attending the tournament received letters from One Door with Brown’s signature and official House seal asking them to give from $125 up to $20,000 to One Door, according to Wiley’s plea agreement.
The invitation said the donations would benefit a scholarship fund for the Jacksonville chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), and other charities. According to authorities, none of the charities received any of the money raised. Federal officials say One Door was not registered in either Virginia or Florida to receive charitable donations.
Wiley faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
