Congresswoman forced to vacate key veterans affairs post amid scandal

The top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee stepped down from that post on Friday, just a day after being indicted in an alleged charity fraud scheme.

Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., said in a statement late Friday that the move is temporary while she works to “vigorously defend myself in court against these politically motivated allegations.”

House rules require any committee chairman or ranking member to temporarily step aside from leadership posts if they are indicted in connection with alleged crimes. Brown and her chief of staff pleaded not guilty earlier in the day to multiple fraud charges.

Brown, who took over the veterans committee leadership role in 2014, said she is innocent. Federal prosecutors have accused her of using an alleged fake charity, One Door for Education Foundation Inc., as a personal slush fund for herself and friends instead of providing scholarships to low-income students.

Read More- Military Times

Image courtesy of AP