A former House chief of staff pleaded guilty in federal court to committing conspiracy and fraud with disgraced former Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla.
Elias “Ronnie” Simmons of Maryland pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of theft of government property for his role in a scholarship charity scheme arranging a no-show job on the Hill for a relative—admissions that “blindsided” Brown.
“I don’t do sign language,” Brown told Jacksonville’s News4 JAX. “What is the sign language to show that you have a broken heart? Because I do have one. But I do have a mouthpiece. The Lord sent him to me. I’m happy with my representation. And he speaks for me,” she said about her lawyer.
Brown plans to fight the criminal charges pending against her.
Simmons, Brown and others allegedly fraudulently collected more than $800,000 for the bogus “One Door for Education” scholarship fund, Simmons claimed.
They solicited donations from people and corporations that Brown had official congressional business dealings with, according to the Justice Department. And Simmons said he funneled tens of thousands of dollars in donations into Brown’s bank account.
As Brown’s chief of staff, Simmons also hired an unnamed relative and paid him or her more than $735,000 in congressional salary, although the person never actually worked in Brown’s office, and kicked back more than $80,000 of it to himself.
Brown’s trial is April 24. Simmons has not been scheduled yet.
