Corrine Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Corrine Brown
Ranking Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
In office January 3, 2015 – July 8, 2016
Preceded by	Mike Michaud
Succeeded by	Mark Takano (acting)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Redistricted
Succeeded by	Al Lawson
Constituency	3rd district (1993–2013) 5th district (2013–2017)
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 17th district
In office November 8, 1982 – November 3, 1992
Preceded by	Redistricted
Succeeded by	Redistricted
Personal details
Born	(1946-11-11) November 11, 1946 (age 78) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	1 daughter
Education	Florida A&M University (BS, MA) University of Florida (EdS)

Corrine Brown, born on November 11, 1946, is an American former politician. She served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida from 1993 to 2017. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Her political career in Congress ended after legal issues and changes to her district's boundaries. In 2016, she lost the Democratic primary election to Al Lawson. She was involved in a legal case concerning a charity. The court found her guilty of some charges. Later, this decision was reviewed, and she eventually pleaded guilty to one charge to avoid a new trial. She was sentenced to time she had already served.

Early Life and Education

Corrine Brown was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She went to Florida A&M University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1969. She continued her studies at the same university, getting a master's degree in 1971. In 1974, she received an educational specialist degree from the University of Florida.

Serving in Florida's Government

Brown first tried to get elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1980, but she didn't win. Two years later, in 1982, she was successfully elected to the Florida House. She served in this role for ten years, representing a new district that had just been created.

Representing Florida in Congress

How She Was Elected

First Elections and District Changes

After the 1990 census, Florida's lawmakers drew new boundaries for congressional districts. They created the 3rd congressional district in northern Florida. This district was designed to have a majority of African-American voters. It stretched in a horseshoe shape, including parts of Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Ocala, and Lake City. This new district aimed to elect Florida's first African-American to Congress since the Reconstruction era. Corrine Brown decided to run for this seat.

In the 1992 Democratic primary, Brown faced several candidates. She won the primary and a runoff election. Then, she won the general election in November 1992, becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1995, the way the 3rd district was drawn was challenged in court. The United States Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional because it was drawn mainly based on race. Even though the district was redrawn and had fewer African-American voters, Brown was reelected in 1996.

Later Elections and New District Lines

In 2009, Brown thought about running for a U.S. Senate seat but later decided to stay in the House. She ran for reelection in 2010 and won.

After new district lines were drawn in 2012, Brown's district was renamed the 5th district. It still had a similar shape, going from Jacksonville to Orlando. Many people thought this district was drawn unfairly to favor one political party. Groups like the League of Women Voters of Florida challenged this new map in court. They argued that the district was designed to help the current representative and the Republican Party.

In 2015, the Florida Supreme Court agreed that the district map was unfair. They ordered the 5th district to be redrawn again. Brown tried to challenge this new court-ordered map, saying it went against the Voting Rights Act. However, in April 2016, the court ruled against her. The new 5th district became much more compact. It changed to run east-west along the Georgia border, from downtown Jacksonville to Tallahassee.

Brown ran for reelection in 2016, even though most of the voters in the new district were unfamiliar to her. After facing legal issues, she was defeated in the Democratic primary by former state senator Al Lawson of Tallahassee. Lawson then won the general election.

2022 Election Attempt

In June 2022, Corrine Brown announced she would try to win a House seat again. This seat was open because Val Demings chose to run for the Senate. Brown finished fourth in the primary election. The winner of that primary was Maxwell Frost.

Her Work in Congress

Brown speaking at the U.S. House, 2009

During her time in Congress, Corrine Brown voted on many important laws. For example, in 2006, she voted against laws about child custody protection and religious expression. She also voted against the Military Commissions Act. However, she voted for the SAFE Port Act. In 2008, she supported the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

How Groups Rated Her Work

Different groups rated Corrine Brown based on her votes and positions. She often received high ratings from groups focused on animal welfare, senior citizen issues, labor rights, education, and poverty.

However, her ratings were lower from groups interested in agriculture and economics. For example, she had low ratings from the National Taxpayers Union and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Her ratings were also lower on issues like trade, national security, and immigration. These ratings show how different groups viewed her work in Congress.

Campaign Funding

For her 2009–2010 campaign, Corrine Brown raised nearly $1 million. Her biggest donors included large companies like CSX Corporation, a railroad company, and Carnival Corporation, a cruise line. Other major donors were Picerne Real Estate Group, Union Pacific Corp, and Berkshire Hathaway.

Her campaign received a lot of money from industries like railroads, law firms, real estate, and transportation unions. Most of her funds came from large individual donations and contributions from political action committees (PACs).

Legal Challenges

In July 2016, Corrine Brown and her chief of staff faced legal charges. These charges were related to a non-profit charity called One Door for Education Foundation. Prosecutors claimed the charity was supposed to give scholarships to students in need. However, they said it was used to benefit Brown and her associates personally. They stated that about $800,000 from the charity was used for personal and professional expenses.

On May 11, 2017, Brown was found guilty of some of the charges. In December 2017, she was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay back money. She began her sentence in January 2018. She appealed her conviction.

Decision Overturned

On May 6, 2021, a higher court, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, overturned Brown's conviction. The court ruled that a juror had been wrongly removed during her trial. The court ordered a new trial for her.

Brown was released from prison earlier, on April 22, 2020. This was due to health concerns and the risks of COVID-19 because of her age and health conditions.

New Agreement

On May 17, 2022, Brown decided to avoid a new trial. She pleaded guilty to one charge related to interfering with tax laws. She was sentenced to the time she had already spent in prison. She was also ordered to pay back over $62,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.

Committee Work

During her time in the U.S. House of Representatives, Corrine Brown served on important committees.

• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • This committee deals with things like roads, bridges, and public transportation.
  • She was part of subcommittees on Aviation, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials (where she was a Ranking Member), and Water Resources and Environment.
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs
  • This committee focuses on issues important to military veterans.
  • She was part of the Subcommittee on Health.

Electoral History

Florida House of Representatives (1980–1988)

See also

• List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes
• List of federal political scandals in the United States
• List of African-American United States representatives
• Women in the United States House of Representatives