Posted on Jul 9, 2016
Congresswoman forced to vacate key veterans affairs post amid scandal
1.4K
14
6
7
7
0
The top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee stepped down from that post on Friday, just a day after being indicted in an alleged charity fraud scheme.
Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., said in a statement late Friday that the move is temporary while she works to “vigorously defend myself in court against these politically motivated allegations.”
House rules require any committee chairman or ranking member to temporarily step aside from leadership posts if they are indicted in connection with alleged crimes. Brown and her chief of staff pleaded not guilty earlier in the day to multiple fraud charges.
Brown, who took over the veterans committee leadership role in 2014, said she is innocent. Federal prosecutors have accused her of using an alleged fake charity, One Door for Education Foundation Inc., as a personal slush fund for herself and friends instead of providing scholarships to low-income students.
The 69-year-old lawmaker, whose district includes military facilities in Jacksonville, has been a controversial figure on the committee since taking over the leadership role. Veterans groups lobbied for other candidates for the post in late 2013, but members of the Congressional Black Caucus bristled when colleagues suggested passing over the senior Democrat.
In a statement earlier in the day, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the charges against Brown disappointing but praised her as a “champion for America's veterans” during her time in the chamber.
A status hearing on the charges is set for July 26. Congress is scheduled to leave town for a nearly two-month summer recess starting July 15, meaning the temporary move should have little immediate impact on committee work.
Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., said in a statement late Friday that the move is temporary while she works to “vigorously defend myself in court against these politically motivated allegations.”
House rules require any committee chairman or ranking member to temporarily step aside from leadership posts if they are indicted in connection with alleged crimes. Brown and her chief of staff pleaded not guilty earlier in the day to multiple fraud charges.
Brown, who took over the veterans committee leadership role in 2014, said she is innocent. Federal prosecutors have accused her of using an alleged fake charity, One Door for Education Foundation Inc., as a personal slush fund for herself and friends instead of providing scholarships to low-income students.
The 69-year-old lawmaker, whose district includes military facilities in Jacksonville, has been a controversial figure on the committee since taking over the leadership role. Veterans groups lobbied for other candidates for the post in late 2013, but members of the Congressional Black Caucus bristled when colleagues suggested passing over the senior Democrat.
In a statement earlier in the day, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the charges against Brown disappointing but praised her as a “champion for America's veterans” during her time in the chamber.
A status hearing on the charges is set for July 26. Congress is scheduled to leave town for a nearly two-month summer recess starting July 15, meaning the temporary move should have little immediate impact on committee work.
Congresswoman forced to vacate key veterans affairs post amid scandal
Posted from armytimes.comPosted in these groups: 
Congress
Congress
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
2
2
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
Frankly, I doubt you’ll be missed! After all the House just seems to have wasted their time on impeachment rather than real issues like the families of 4 dead Foreign Service Officers getting the answers they so reachly deserve but also need for why their family members were needlessly killed under failures of leadership under former Secretary of State Clinton and President Obama! And let me answer Secretary Clinton’s infamous why does it matter? Well, we don’t get our people killed, we don’t leave our dead and injured behind; we don’t leave people behind and we use our failures to improve security for Department of Defense, Department of State, etc personnel and their security both at home and abroad. waiting for answers from forPresideObama and Secretary Clinton as to how they got killed. As a former 4X Attache to 5 US Ambassadors, not a day goes by that I don’t say a prayer for those families!
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google