Former District of Columbia Councilmember Michael Brown was by no means the first councilmember to be charged with a crime, but he had the unfortunate distinction of being caught on camera. After Brown was charged in June with taking bribes, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington released photos taken by undercover federal agents of Brown accepting neatly rolled wads of illicit cash.
Brown was the third elected D.C. official in the past 1 1/2 years to plead guilty to criminal misconduct. He followed the footsteps of former councilmembers Kwame Brown — convicted of bank fraud and a campaign finance law violation — and Harry Thomas Jr., serving three years in jail for stealing more than $353,000 in public funds. The three ex-politicos had something else in common besides a criminal conviction: big-name lawyers at their side.
