Attorneys for the federal government and for former state Rep. Tyrone Brooks spent all morning Wednesday quibbling over how much money the one-time legislator pocketed when he divert hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to address illiteracy, voting rights and crime to cover his personal expenses.
Federal prosecutor Kurt Erskine challenged decisions made by Ted Robertson, the accounting expert for Brooks’ defense team, to count certain expenses as a cost of business and not for everyday living.
Examples were payments to body shops, a furniture store and clothing shops. One item singled out was $93.18 for a “tummy tuck belt.”
At one point, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg complained the questions were getting “too deep in the weeds” and would not help her decide Brooks’ punishment for tax, mail and wire fraud.
The afternoon testimony on Brooks’ behalf will be from stalwarts of the civil rights movement — C.T. Vivian and former Ambassador Andrew Young.
Brooks was accused of soliciting almost $1 million between 1993 and 2012 from a labor union and major corporations for a purported charity, Universal Humanities, that addressed illiteracy. Prosecutors say he also diverted money given to the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, which he led for several years.
The money ended up in his personal account.
Brooks pleaded guily in April to one count of tax fraud and no contest to five counts of wire or mail fraud. A day earlier he had resigned the legislative seat he had held for almost 35 years.
Totenberg said she expects to sentence him on Friday. Prosecutors are asking that he receive two years in prison while Brooks attorneys are asking for probation.
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