' s ▁Office ▁for ▁the ▁Middle ▁District ▁of ▁Florida . ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁when ▁U . S . ▁Att orney ▁Robert ▁E . ▁O ' Ne ill ▁res igned ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁private ▁sector ▁with ▁the ▁Free h ▁Group , ▁Bent ley ▁became ▁the ▁Act ing ▁U . S . ▁Att orney ▁for ▁the ▁Middle ▁District ▁of ▁Florida . ▁He ▁was ▁formally ▁nominated ▁by ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁on ▁the ▁bi - part isan ▁recommendation ▁of ▁Florida ' s ▁U . S . ▁Sen ators , ▁Republican ▁Marco ▁Rub io ▁and ▁Dem ocrat ▁Bill ▁Nelson . ▁Bent ley ▁was ▁un anim ously ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Bent ley ' s ▁office ▁charged ▁Democratic ▁Congress w oman ▁Cor r ine ▁Brown ▁of ▁Florida ▁with ▁ 2 4 ▁counts ▁of ▁federal ▁cor ruption , ▁acc using ▁Brown ▁and ▁her ▁Chief ▁of ▁Staff ▁Ron nie ▁Sim m ons ▁of ▁using ▁Brown ' s ▁position ▁in ▁Congress ▁to ▁solic it ▁more ▁than ▁$ 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁what ▁federal ▁pro sec utors ▁call ▁a ▁" sh am ▁education ▁char ity ." ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Sim m ons ▁ple aded ▁guilty ▁to ▁federal ▁charges ▁and ▁agreed ▁to ▁test ify ▁against ▁Brown ▁at ▁her ▁up coming ▁trial . ▁ ▁See