Action News Jax Investigates: Lavish spending by charity backed by Rep. Corrine Brown

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The director of an organization with ties to a Jacksonville congresswoman pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Jacksonville.

Action News Jax took a close look at the federal plea deal and the One Door for Education charity and connected the dots between Congresswoman Corrine Brown and the head of the charity.

One Door for Education is a Leesburg, Va. organization that Brown has touted for years. A golf tournament hosted by Brown in 2013 named the organization as a sponsor.

According to federal documents, money raised for the organization wasn't going toward scholarships and other nonprofits as was advertised on event invitations.

Dozens of pages of documents detail how One Door for Education was spending its money.

Approximately $800,000 in deposits were made to One Door, but only one scholarship for $1,000 was ever awarded.

The documents also say between 2012 and 2015, money was used to hold parties at luxury hotels in Washington D.C., pay for alcoholic beverages during a reception and for a fundraiser in a luxury box during a music concert at an arena.

The documents say the organization moved funds between bank accounts that benefitted three different people.

The federal document said director Carla Wiley withdrew money totaling more than $140,000 from the One Door for Education bank account and put it in her own.

The document also spelled out tens of thousands of dollars taken from a One Door for Education account and deposited into the accounts of two others, named in federal documents as Person A and Person B.

The documents do not name Brown but Person A is listed as a public official and photographs posted to the organization’s website further suggest that person is her.

The documents state One Door for Education’s website was updated with nine new photographs, of which Person A appeared three times.

Brown appeared in three photos on the website.

The document said Wiley appeared in two, and we counted her in two pictures on the site.

The photos are still up on the site.

The question Carson said the feds will look at next is where did all the money go.

“If you knew or should've know that money came from something you didn't help with, didn't do, shouldn't be benefitting, you are considered to be part of the conspiracy,” said Carson.

Wiley and her attorney did not return calls made to them Friday.

Congresswoman Brown hung up the phone on us.

Cox Media Group