Corrine Brown welcomed at DNC despite legal battle

Brown says she's bringing on more lawyers for federal corruption case

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown took a break from her legal fight this week to join her colleagues at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Brown's attorneys requested a later trial date in the federal corruption case against her, which centers on 22 federal charges, including counts of conspiracy, mail and wire fraud and violation of tax laws.

Brown and her chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, who were in court on Tuesday afternoon, are accused of using an unregistered charity to raise $800,000 that prosecutors said they used as a personal "slush fund."

Brown said she's received a positive reception at the DNC, despite being under fire.

“A lot of people are very supportive, telling me they're praying for me, they're supporting me, they know me,” Brown said Thursday in Philadelphia. “This has been a very difficult time for me, yes. But, of course, I've got a story to tell, and I'm prepared to tell it.”

Brown, who is being represented by local civil rights attorneys Betsy White and Bill Sheppard, said that she is bringing an additional team of attorneys on board to help her fight the federal charges.

“This is very serious, so I'm going to make sure I have -- and I'm not saying I'm not pleased with my attorneys, but I think we need additional resources brought in to help, and I'm doing that,” she said.

UNCUT: Kent Justice interviews Corrine Brown in Philadelphia

New sealed documents were filed in federal court Thursday for both Brown and Simmons. A legal expert told the I-TEAM that filing such documents is rare at this stage of a federal case.

Both Brown and Simmons have asked for the trial to be pushed back one month to October.

Brown's defense is under court order to not release any evidence prosecutors have collected to the public.

The 12-term congresswoman, who has stepped down as senior Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is running for re-election in her drastically redrawn 5th Congressional District. She is facing two opponents in the Democratic primary to be held one week before the currently scheduled Sept. 6 trial.

Brown said in addition to battling her opponents, she is fighting a short-sighted push to get voters to switch to the Republican Party to be able to vote in a controversial state attorney's race in which no Democrats are on the ballot.

Brown said that will affect her primary, as well.

“I took out a full-page ad in the Florida Star saying that if you are doing that, you can't vote for not just me but any other Democrats up and down the ballot,” Brown said. “We have races that are important in our community, and so whoever is suggesting that -- I mean, you want to vote against Trump? You need to be a Democrat. Democrats up and down.”

Brown said she won't let her upcoming federal trial affect her ability to do her job in Congress or her campaign for re-election.

“I am not going to let anything interfere with me and my constituents. Absolutely not,” she said.

If convicted on all charges, Brown could be sentenced up to 357 years in prison and fined $4.8 million.


About the Authors:

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.