A.G. Gancarski
On Tuesday, Federal Judge James Klindt imposed a protective order on evidence in the “One Door for Education” case involving Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff.
The two face 24 criminal counts related to an allegedly fraudulent charity, which solicited and collected $800,000 over a period of years, but distributed less than $2,000 under its charitable auspices.
The prosecutors wanted the protective order imposed on evidence because of its confidential nature; it contains sensitive and confidential information about defendants and “others, many of whom wouldn’t testify at trial.”
Rep. Brown, as of Sept. 21, “no longer opposes” the order.
The order will be a substitute for the “temporary” protective order put in place last July, shortly after the indictment of Brown and her chief of staff.
Stakes are high in this case.
The congresswoman from Florida’s 5th Congressional District, along with Chief of Staff Elias Simmons, face a combined 24 charges, enumerated in a 46-page indictment.
Brown faces a possible 357 years in prison and $4.8 million fine if all counts are found valid.
For Simmons, it would be as many as 355 years and $4.75 million, if guilty of all counts.
The estimated restitution for Brown would be $833,000 — plus $63,000 in tax — roughly $897,000. For Simmons, the number would be over $1.2 million.
