Counsel now set for federal fraud trial of Congresswoman, Chief of Staff

The federal fraud case against Congresswoman Corrine Brown and her Chief of Staff is now ready to move forward, with all sides having secured legal counsel.

Brown recently separated with her third set of attorneys, who cited their longtime friendship with Brown as the reason their dynamic became difficult. The motion asking to withdraw said Brown had created an atmosphere of "hostility and distrust", but attorney Mark NeJame later likened it to a couple fighting, saying only that they chose to preserve their friendship and move her to new legal counsel.

On Wednesday, James Smith, with CPLS in Orlando officially filed notice with the court that he would take on the case. He asked the judge to delay the trial date, which is currently set for November. While the US Attorney’s Office didn’t oppose that, the judge has not yet made any definitive change. That will be discussed further at a hearing in October.

Brown’s Chief of Staff Ronnie Simmons appeared separately in court Wednesday to discuss his own counsel. Prosecutors were concerned about a potential conflict of interest with Simmons’ representation, because attorney Tony Suarez had represented a witness during the grand jury phase. Suarez says he knows what role that witness will play, and it’s not one that affects his position with Simmons.

“If there had been any potential conflict, I wouldn’t have taken the case at all,” he said after the hearing.

Suarez further says Simmons has been well aware of the representation. Their focus now is on Suarez getting up to speed on the case, including a full review of all the grand jury testimony, related documents, and more.

“My client says he’s innocent, therefore, I believe him,” Suarez says.

He says, while something like a plea deal is never off the table, he doesn’t see a scenario where Simmons turns on Brown.

Both Simmons and Brown have been indicted for allegedly collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for a group called "One Door for Education", and while Brown represented the group as a charity, the federal government says it was bogus. The indictment claims the duo, along with the head of the group, used the donations for personal expenses instead. The head, Carla Wiley, previously pled guilty and helped the US government build their case.

Speaking on behalf of Brown, Smith said they “emphatically deny” the charges against her.

Brown recently lost her primary bid to remain in Congress, where she has served more than two decades. She wouldn't discuss whether the indictment factored in to that, saying only that anything that takes time from campaigning hurts. She was also running in a district that had newly redrawn boundaries that changed her constituency from a district that ran from Jacksonville to the south, to one that stretches west.