JEFFERSON CITY (St. Louis Record) — Former Missouri Rep. Mark Steven "Steve" Brown, voluntarily disbarred in 2009 following his guilty plea to federal obstruction charges, has been reinstated to practice law in the state following a Missouri Supreme Court order handed down this week.
In its brief order May 1, the high court sustained Brown's petition for reinstatement and ordered him reinstated as a member of The Missouri Bar in good standing, in addition to ordering him to pay all costs in the matter. The order was signed by Missouri Supreme Court Justice Zel M. Fischer.
Brown was admitted to the bar in Missouri on Sept. 29, 1995, according to his profile at The Missouri Bar's website.
Brown, a Democratic member of the Missouri House representing District 73, voluntarily surrendered his law license following his guilty plea Aug. 25, 2009, for his part in a conspiracy to obstruct a Federal Election Commission proceeding and to obstruct a federal grand jury proceeding in 2004.
Brown and former State Sen. Jeff Smith, described in an FBI news release at the time as "a close and personal friend" both admitted the lied to federal officials to cover up their parts in improper campaign activities during Smith's unsuccessful bid for Congress against Russ Carnahan.
Brown "provided substantial support, advice, and assistance to Smith and the Friends of Jeff Smith committee during Smith's 2004 campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Congress," said an FBI news release issued in November 2009. "During July 2004, Jeff Smith, the Jeff Smith committee, along with Steve Brown coordinated the funding, production and distribution of negative campaign mailings aimed at Russ Carnahan through John Doe. These negative mailings did not identify Jeff Smith or his campaign committee."
Smith was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and fined $50,000 while Brown was sentenced to two years' probation, and fined $40,000, according to the FBI's November 2009 release. Carnahan represented Missouri's Third Congressional District until 2013.
Brown, who wore a wire so that federal investigators could get at Smith, resigned his State House seat and filed a motion with the state Supreme Court to voluntarily surrender his license to practice law in Missouri.