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Ex-Florida Congresswoman Convicted of Taking Money Meant for Charity

After she was convicted on Thursday, Corrine Brown, a former United States representative from Florida, said she disagreed with the jury’s decision and would seek a new trial.Credit...Bruce Lipsky/The Florida Times-Union, via Associated Press

Corrine Brown, a former longtime United States representative from Florida, was convicted on Thursday of taking for herself thousands of dollars in donations that were meant to fund student scholarships.

Ms. Brown, 70, served in the House of Representatives for more than two decades and was one of the first African-Americans elected to Congress from Florida. But she lost her seat in a primary election in August, just weeks after she was indicted on federal conspiracy and fraud charges.

In all, a federal jury in Jacksonville, Fla., found Ms. Brown guilty on 18 of the 22 counts in an indictment that charged her with conspiring with others to run the fraudulent charity, filing false tax returns and other crimes, according to the Justice Department. She faces a lengthy prison term. No sentencing date has been set.

“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. “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 I.R.S. and the American public about secret cash deposits into her personal bank accounts.”

In a statement provided by her lawyer, James Smith, Ms. Brown said that, while she respected the jury’s decision, she disagreed with it.

“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.”

Prosecutors said Ms. Brown, a Democrat who lives in Jacksonville, was aided in the conspiracy by her former chief of staff, Elias Simmons, known as Ronnie, and Carla Wiley, the president of the fraudulent charity. Mr. Simmons and Ms. Wiley have pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme, the Justice Department said.

Brown participated from 2012 to 2016, according to evidence presented at the trial. Through the fraudulent charity, “One Door for Education — Amy Anderson Scholarship Fund,” prosecutors said, Ms. Brown — along with Mr. Simmons, Ms. Wiley and others — solicited more than $800,000 in charitable donations by telling donors their money would be used to fund college scholarships, school computers and other causes.

Donors testified that Ms. Brown sought donations from people and businesses she knew through her connections in the House of Representatives. But trial evidence showed that One Door awarded only two scholarships totaling $1,200.

Instead of using the money to cover students’ education expenses, prosecutors said, Mr. Simmons deposited tens of thousands of dollars into Ms. Brown’s personal bank accounts.

“In one instance, Simmons deposited $2,100 of One Door funds into Brown’s personal bank account the same day that Brown paid $2,057 to the I.R.S. for taxes she owed,” the Justice Department said in its statement.

According to the Justice Department’s statement, “trial evidence also showed that more than $300,000 in One Door funds were used to pay for events either hosted by Brown or held in her honor.” Those events included a golf tournament in Florida, receptions during an annual conference in Washington, and the use of a luxury box during a concert and a professional football game, prosecutors said.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section A, Page 22 of the New York edition with the headline: Ex-Congresswoman Is Guilty Of Operating a Fake Charity. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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