June 09, 2015
Matt Rourke/AP
State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Philadelphia, left, and State Rep. Michelle F. Brownlee, D-Philadelphia, are seen at their desks Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, at the state Capitol in Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Michelle Brownlee pleaded guilty to accepting $2,000 in cash for favors, becoming the fourth elected official from Philadelphia to admit guilt in the pay-to-play legislative sting, PennLive reported.
Brownlee, 59, was in her third term in the House when she resigned from her $85,346-per-year, 195th District House seat Monday immediately after pleading guilty.
She was sentenced to 18 months probation, was ordered to pay restitution of $2,000 and was fined an additional $3,500 by Dauphin County Judge Scott Evans, but will likely keep her state pension.
According to PennLive, Brownlee admitted accepting $2,000 wrapped in a napkin outside the Cafe Fresco Restaurant in downtown Harrisburg from Tyron Ali, a confidential informant who was posing as a lobbyist for the Attorney General's Office.
Taped recordings captured Brownlee's interactions with Ali, including an agreement to "be there for him for anything that he needed" in return for the cash, PennLive reported.
Brownlee is one of six current or former Philadelphia officials - including five current or former state lawmakers – charged with accepting cash from Ali.
Read the full PennLive article here.
