Willie Brown

Willie Brown    (politician)
Born	Willie Lewis Brown Jr. 1934-03-20 Mineola, Texas
Alma mater	San Francisco State University, University of California, Hastings
Religion	Methodist
Spouse	• Blanche Vitero • separated
Party	Democratic
California State Assembly Speaker, later became mayor of San Francisco. Never proven allegations of corruption.  Mayor of San Francisco  In office January 8, 1996 - January 8, 2004 Succeeded by Gavin Newsom  Speaker of the California State Assembly In office December 2, 1980 - June 5, 1995  Member of the California State Assembly from District 13 In office 1992 - 1995  Member of the California State Assembly from District 17 In office 1974 - 1992  Member of the California State Assembly from District 18 In office 1964 - 1974  Speaker of the California Assembly In office December 2, 1980 - June 5, 1995  Member of the California Assembly from the 13th district In office 1992 - 1995  Member of the California Assembly from the 17th district In office 1974 - 1992  Member of the California Assembly from the 18th district In office 1964 - 1974

Willie Lewis Brown Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party. Brown served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its speaker. He later became mayor of San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle called Brown "one of San Francisco's most notable mayors", adding that he had "celebrity beyond the city's boundaries."

California State Assembly

Almost from the day he became Speaker of the California State Assembly in 1980, Brown became a focus of an overlapping series of FBI corruption investigations, according to court records and interviews.

Willie Brown was targeted by the BRISPEC sting operation, but emerged unscathed. Brown had a $1000 campaign contribution shoved under the door of one of his aides, Karen Sonoda, but the money was returned to the donor. As a former member of the National Guard, there have been accusations over the years that Brown was a federal informant and used his influence with the FBI to target his political opponents with process crime entrapment.

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris, then a 28-year-old prosecutor, had a relationship with Willie Brown, 60, when he was mayor of San Francisco. When they met around 1993, Brown, a noted lawyer and civil rights leader, was the speaker of the California assembly and regarded as one of the State's most influential legislators. Brown named attorney Kamala Harris to the California Medical Assistance Commission, a job that pays $72,000 a year. Brown also appointed Harris to the state's Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, a lucrative position worth a further $97,088 a year.

September 11, 2001

Full article: 9-11

Willie Brown was scheduled on a flight to New York City the day of September 11, 2001. However, he received an alert from his SFO security detail and cancelled.

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