Democratic congresswoman begs to avoid jail time for charity theft

Former Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown asked for leniency from a federal judge in Florida on Friday. She faces a lengthy prison term after being convicted of stealing thousands of dollars that were meant to go to charity. In May, a jury convicted Brown of 18 felony counts, including filing false tax returns, mail fraud, and working with others to run a fake non-profit group. Her conviction represents a major fall from political grace. Brown was one of the first black elected officials to be elected to federal office in Florida in 1992. She represented the Jacksonville, Florida area in the U.S. House of Representatives for over 20 years as a Democrat before losing a party primary in 2016.