Former Dorothy Brown deputy pleads not guilty in lying case

A former top deputy to Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown on Thursday pleaded not guilty to charges alleging she lied to federal investigators in a long-running probe of Brown's office.

Beena Patel, 55, was released on $5,000 bond after a brief hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve. Patel is charged with three counts of lying in front of a grand jury that has been investigating allegations that Brown solicited campaign donations from her staff and traded promotions for cash.

Prosecutors claim Patel lied under oath about selling tickets for Brown fundraisers to other employees and for helping another employee get a raise based on a family member's contribution to Brown's campaign fund.

The U.S. Attorney's office last week announced the federal indictment. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Brown has not been accused of any wrongdoing by federal prosecutors, though the FBI seized her cellphone in 2015.

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