Corrine Brown Pulls Race Card for Charges Against Her

How many race cards are in a deck of 52?

It seems like a lot for Florida Representative Corrine Brown (D).

The congresswoman who’s been in office for 20 years and who recently was indicted on 24 counts of fraud related to activities from a foundation she established is seeking out donations to her legal defense fund. The charges, she says, are a result of her being attacked for fighting racism in Washington.

One Door for Education, the charity founded by Brown in Virginia, “accepted more than $800,000 in donations over the course of four years. During this time, only two checks totaling $1,200 went toward charitable purposes,” reported the Justice Department in its indictment. Federal Authorities then came to the conclusion that the foundation was using the funds to personally benefit Brown, her chief of staff and Carla Wiley, the foundation’s president and someone who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud earlier this year. Authorities discovered more than $200,000 worth of funds that were spent on things such as tickets for NFL games, luxurious vacations, car repairs and plane tickets.

As a response, Corrine Brown has launched a fundraising website to help combat the self-proclaimed witch hunt for fighting racism and injustice.

On the fundraising page, a message from Corrine reads “During my entire political career, I have fought racism, injustice and advocated for individuals who normally get left behind. It should come as no surprise that some took offense to my efforts to stand up for you.”

The message goes on to explain that the Justice Department is trying to strip Corrine of her freedom and that she needs all the money she can get to fight back against the criminal charges.

“I am fighting the Department of Justice, which has unlimited resources. They have smeared my good name. They are trying to take my freedom. I am asking for your help to fight these false charges. On this website, you can make a donation to my legal defense fund.”

The Corrine Brown Legal Defense Trust began in 2010. The Washington Free Beacon obtained records showing that the defense trust had received thousands of dollars in donations from registered lobbyists. Exactly $5,750 in political contributions were taken from three registered lobbyists.

This is prohibited by House ethics rules.