Free Republic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A tearful Corrine Brown made her plea to the court Thursday afternoon, asking the judge to consider all she has done in her life and to show “mercy and compassion.” Brown, 71, was convicted in May of 18 counts of conspiracy, fraud and filing false tax returns. She said those charges run contrary to everything she's ever done in her life, and that she considers her decades of public service an honor and a privilege. Corrine Brown Headlines Corrine Brown with her attorney, James-Smith Corrine Brown's attorney: People 'deserve second chances' After tears, tough questions, Corrine Brown...

Prosecutors wrapped up their closing arguments Monday in the tax evasion and fraud trial of former Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.) by telling jurors the evidence overwhelmingly shows that Brown used her ‘charitable organization' to illegally benefit herself and staffers. The prosecution added that Brown's actions effectively led to needy children being robbed of scholarships. "The real victims are all of those worthy kids who could have gotten scholarships, who needed a leg up. That's who she robbed from, those kids," Eric G. Olshan, one of the prosecutors, said during the one-hour closing arguments against Brown, Jacksonville.com reported. In July...

Irrepressible and a new father at age 86, having served time for extortion, former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards is seeking a comeback by running for an open seat in Congress. Edwards has not lost a step. “I did not vote for Obama: Where I was there were no voting machines,” said the conservative Democrat, who was in federal prison at the time. Edwards was accompanied by his 35-year-old third wife, Tina, and infant child. “There’s a guy in Florida 101 years old running, and by the time I am his age I’ll be in my seventh term,” said Edwards, who...

BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco told officials of the state Democratic Party on Saturday she will seek a second term as governor next year so she can continue to oversee the rebuilding of the hurricane-ravaged state. "I am not going to quit; I am going to lead the battle," Blanco said at the regular meeting of the Democratic State Central Committee, the governing arm of the state party she leads. Although she has said before she intends to run, Saturday's remarks are a sign of just how serious Blanco is about re-election and may indicate she is trying to...