This is supposed to be a nation of laws, not of men. At least that's what we were repeatedly told
during the Clinton impeachment a few years ago. But the leaders of the U.S. Congress (in both parties)
seem to be stonewalling an FBI investigation of Congressman William J. Jefferson (D-La.). This is
ostensibly because the FBI is part of the Executive Branch, and — the claim is being
made — therefore is not allowed to investigate corruption in the Legislative Branch.
From this we can infer that the Legislative Branch has an investigative arm that is comparable to the FBI,
eager and willing to conduct its own investigation. But I can't recall a time when the
Government Accountability Office has conducted a raid on a Congressman's office or residence.
It seems obvious to me that while the separation of powers issue makes for interesting questions,
those questions have probably been answered long ago, perhaps as far back as 1787, and the
technicalities are now being introduced just to buy a little time. The term "red herring"
comes to mind, since this isn't the first time (since the creation of the FBI) that a Congressman
has been accused of misconduct. This was, however, the first time in the history of Congress
that a warrant had been used to search a lawmaker's
office.*
In any event, it seems to me that if Mr. Jefferson were a Republican, this story would be headline news
every day.
Note: The latest news is at the bottom of this page.
Section One: Generalities, Constitutional questions, and red herrings.
Judge allows Jefferson probe
to continue. A federal judge said Wednesday [7/19/2006] that investigators could examine
documents seized in a search of Representative William Jefferson's office, denying a request to delay the bribery
probe while the Louisiana Democrat appeals the judge's earlier ruling that the search was legal.
For William Jefferson, Congress Unites to
Protect Its Own. So now we know what it takes for House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi to be united in outrage. They finally came together this week, passionately so,
in protest. No, it wasn't terrorism, or inadequate health care, or the $50 fill-up that prompted
Congressional leaders to put partisanship aside. In fact, it had absolutely nothing to do with you
and me. It was all about them.
Black
politicians should be held to high standard. The [William J.] Jefferson case is
special. He has been on the legal hot seat for months. He's been the target of an
ongoing criminal investigation and a House ethics probe. He left a bitter taste in the
mouths of many New Orleans residents during the Hurricane Katrina debacle when he allegedly
commandeered a National Guard truck to check on his personal property and save personal belongings.
Congress
is crying wolf on separation of powers flap. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a nearly unprecedented joint statement condemning the FBI raid and demanding that
the FBI return the documents. With all due respect, these claims are preposterous, and I don't believe
President Bush should have intervened, even if just to provide a cooling-off period.
AG, FBI Chief Made A Stand
Over Raid. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI director Robert Mueller signaled they would
resign this week rather than give in to Congress in a dispute over an FBI raid on Rep. William Jefferson's
Capitol Hill office, an administration official tells CBS News. … The dispute raged across Washington
all week before President George W. Bush eased tensions on Thursday [5/25/2006], ordering that the
seized documents be sealed for 45 days.
A Defiant
Stance In Jefferson Probe. The Justice Department signaled to the White House this week that the
nation's top three law enforcement officials would resign or face firing rather than return documents seized
from a Democratic congressman's office in a bribery investigation, according to administration sources
familiar with the discussions.
House
Leaders Want Return of Items Seized in FBI Search. House leaders from both parties escalated
a confrontation with the Bush administration Wednesday [5/24/2006], demanding the return of all materials
seized in an unprecedented FBI raid on the office of a congressman under investigation for bribery. And
the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), announced he would hold
hearings next week on what he called serious constitutional questions concerning the search of the Capitol
Hill office of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.).
Raid on
Jefferson's Office Prompts Hearing. "The FBI's unprecedented Saturday night raid of Rep.
Jefferson's Capitol Hill office raises profoundly disturbing constitutional questions that must be
addressed," Sensenbrenner said in a press release. The oversight hearing, scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
on Tuesday, May 30, is entitled, "Reckless Justice: Did the Saturday Night Raid of Congress
Trample the Constitution?"
White House Caves on House Papers.
[President Bush] ordered the documents sealed for 45 days while people try to figure out what to
do. Nobody has access to those documents for 45 days. This has probably crippled the FBI's
case. What good is 45 days going to do? What will be different then from now?
Sen. Frist: FBI Search Controversy
'Put to Bed'. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday [5/28/2006] he had talked the issue over with
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and concluded that the FBI acted appropriately. "I don't think it abused
separation of powers," Frist said on "Fox News Sunday." "I think there's allegations of criminal activity,
and the American people need to have the law enforced."
[Well then, he needs to inform Hastert and Pelosi right away.]
Judge rules Capitol Hill
raid was legal. An FBI raid on a Louisiana congressman's Capitol Hill office was legal, a
federal judge ruled Monday [7/10/2006]. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan said members of
Congress are not above the law. He rejected requests from lawmakers and Democratic Rep. William
Jefferson to return material seized by the FBI in a May 20-21 search of Jefferson's office.
Papers
From Jefferson Office Raid in Limbo. Prosecutors and investigators building a bribery case
against Rep. William Jefferson have been unable to examine the documents and computer files seized in a
search of the lawmaker's Capitol Hill office. The materials were placed off limits by President Bush
for 45 days, a cooling-off period that ended Sunday [7/9/2006]. Yet there has been no resolution
of the court fight or talks between congressional leaders and the Justice Department.
The African Connection: The
documents seized in the FBI raid on the offices of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) remain unread by Justice
Department investigators, pending a federal Appeals Court ruling scheduled for August 27. Jefferson
is anxious to overturn the ruling of federal Judge Hogan of the Washington, DC federal District Court, who
allowed the raid. One can only surmise that the seized documents contain material even more embarrassing
than the discovery of $90,000 in cash in Jefferson's freezer.
William Jefferson to Get Two Days to
Review Papers in Bribery Case. A federal appeals court has allowed Rep. William Jefferson
to review all the documents taken from his office by the FBI in a May search of his office that stems
from an ongoing bribery investigation.
Jefferson
Wins A Round in Court. A federal appeals court ruled yesterday [7/28/2006] that prosecutors may
not examine documents seized from Rep. William J. Jefferson's Capitol Hill office until the congressman
has a chance to review them for privileged legislative materials. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ordered the Justice Department to copy the seized materials and show them to
Jefferson.
Rep. Jefferson loses party
endorsement. The Louisiana Democratic Party turned down eight-term U.S. Rep. William Jefferson
on Saturday [10/14/2006] and endorsed state Rep. Karen Carter, one of a dozen challengers who emerged after
Jefferson became the target of a federal bribery investigation.
Rep.
Jefferson Challenges FBI Raid. Rep. William Jefferson's attorney told federal judges Tuesday
[5/15/2007] that last year's FBI raid on the congressman's office had grave implications for the independence
of the legislative branch, and he asked the court to declare the search unconstitutional.
Congressman calls raid
unconstitutional. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., says an FBI raid last year on his congressional
office was unconstitutional, and he wants the seized material returned. His lawyer appeared Tuesday
before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Attorney
Robert Trout said the search was unconstitutional because while FBI agents looked for documents related to a
criminal inquiry, they also examined records related to Jefferson's work as a legislator.
Are Members of Congress
Accountable for Anything? In a year when Congressional committees see no limits to what they will
subpoena from the executive branch or about what they will interrogate its officers and employees, they rushed
to court to keep the Department of Justice from subpoenaing the records of a Congressman caught with tens of
thousands of dollars in his freezer.
The Editor asks...
Does he really believe that Members of Congress are immune from prosecution? How many
other Congressmen believe that?
Section Two: The specifics of this case.
The
interpretation battle: There was one prominent Democrat caught with his fist in the till, William
Jefferson (of frozen bucks fame), but instead of offering him up as evidence that corruption is bipartisan, the
Republican leadership threw a protective arm over Jefferson's shoulder, indignantly denouncing the FBI for
searching his office. In so doing, they made his scandal their own.
Unbowed
Jefferson Keeps Up the Fight. At a barbershop in the Third Ward, in an area still woozy from
Hurricane Katrina's knockout punch, the chatter was about what to do with Rep. William J. Jefferson
(D-La.). "He's got my vote. I like Jefferson," shop owner Charles Harris said as he finished up a
haircut. "They haven't indicted him, number one. Whenever they come up with some concrete
evidence, that might change things."
Democrat refuses
to let FBI inquiry stop him. They line up to kiss him, hug him, slap hands, give him their
blessing. William Jefferson, an eight-term House Democrat enmeshed in an FBI bribery investigation,
is feeling good about his re-election prospects.
Report says Jefferson has ties with
Nigerian. The corruption investigation of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., has uncovered
ties between Jefferson and Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Abubakar, 59, is a wealthy
businessman and one of the leading candidates in next year's race for president of Nigeria, The Washington
Post reported.
Jefferson
promises he has 'an honorable explanation'. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, said
Tuesday [6/6/2006] that there is "an honorable explanation" for the damaging scenario being painted by the
federal government in the federal bribery probe targeting him, and he again denied breaking any laws.
What's Really
Going On In the William Jefferson Fight. One of the issues at the core of the dispute appears to
be the demands for electronic records in the Justice Department's subpoena. It is one thing to demand
specific paper documents, and the subpoena has a long (but redacted) list of particular items to be
seized. But it is another thing to take the entire hard drive from a computer, which will inevitably
contain more information than just that listed by the subpoena.
For
Democrats, a Scandal of Their Own. Democrats' plans to make Republican corruption a theme of
their election strategy this year have been complicated by accusations of wrongdoing in their own ranks,
leading the party to try on Monday to blunt the political effects of the unfolding case against
Representative William J. Jefferson.
Jefferson defense fund hits $119,000.
U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, has raised $119,000 for his legal defense fund. Some of his
contributors are politically connected. … Liberty Bank and Trust Co. of New Orleans
contributed $5,000 to the fund.
For deals, Rep. Jefferson built web of firms.
As court records, sworn affidavits, plea agreements and search warrants attest, it was quite a deal, one of
several involving at least seven business entities, nearly a dozen family members and hundreds of thousands
of dollars sloshing through bank accounts, all for Jefferson's personal benefit.
Aide
says Jefferson cooked up scheme. A former aide to U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New
Orleans, said Friday [5/26/2006] that it was the congressman's idea to solicit bribes to promote a
telecommunications deal in West Africa that began as a legitimate business venture.
Congress finds its
backbone — in the freezer. Rep. William J. Jefferson appears to be that
one-in-a-million rarity, like a buffalo nickel or a four-leaf clover: a corrupt Louisiana
politician. … The New Orleans Democrat was caught on video allegedly taking a $100,000 bribe
from an FBI informant (and allegedly demanding further bribes), and a subsequent search
revealed $90,000 in his freezer. That's a lot of crawdads.
Cold cash:
If you keep $90,000 in greenbacks inside your freezer, it is reasonably guessed that you had some reason to
keep them there instead of at your bank. It is possible to imagine a situation in which the freezer
turned out to be the best place to put the stuff — say, a fire threatened your apartment — but
the protagonist hasn't given this reason to his constituents, who are skeptical.
Downfall
of Democrat with $90,000 in freezer. Perhaps they will home in on the half-million dollar
bribe, offered to an African official "to motivate him real good". An alternative could be the note,
bearing the word "cash", written to avoid Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) listening devices. Or
there is the small matter of the $90,000 (£48,000), carefully wrapped in aluminium foil and hidden in
plastic food containers within Congressman William Jefferson's freezer.
FBI Raid
on Jefferson Was Justified, Legal Group Claims. A legal watchdog group insists that the FBI's
recent raid of Louisiana Democratic Congressman William Jefferson's office was perfectly legal, despite the
subsequent complaints about the raid by both Republican and Democratic leaders of the House. "Nowhere
in the Constitution is there immunity from investigation for members of Congress. It just isn't there,"
said Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center.
The "Culture of
corruption" spreads beyond party lines. FBI raids of Jefferson's DC and Louisiana homes had
already uncovered a great deal of evidence, including the now-famous $90,000 in the freezer. And
apparently Jefferson had refused to honor subpoenas for the documents that the FBI eventually raided
his congressional office to find.
FBI search OK with Brown-Waite. U.S.
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, went against her own party leader by speaking out in favor of the FBI's
search of Rep. William Jefferson's Capitol Hill office.
Jefferson
Probe Includes Other Suspected Schemes. The FBI is focusing on at least eight different suspected
bribery schemes as part of its corruption probe of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), according to a federal
affidavit and sources familiar with the investigation. A key part of the FBI probe has centered around
Jefferson's dealings with a Louisville high-tech company, iGate Inc., that was marketing broadband technology
for the Internet and cable television in Africa.
Jefferson Doesn't Address Alleged Facts in
Bribery Probe. Federal agents entered Jefferson's office on Capitol Hill Saturday night
[5/20/2006] and Sunday to search for evidence of wire fraud and bribery, including bribery of a foreign
official, according to court documents. Jefferson is under investigation for allegedly helping an
American Internet company called iGate do business with Nigeria and Ghana.
FBI
Says Jefferson Was Filmed Taking Cash. Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), the target of
a 14-month public corruption probe, was videotaped accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from a Northern
Virginia investor who was wearing an FBI wire, according to a search warrant affidavit released
yesterday [5/21/2006]. A few days later, on Aug. 3, 2005, FBI agents raided Jefferson's
home in Northeast Washington and found $90,000 of the cash in the freezer, in $10,000 increments
wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers, the document said.
F.B.I. Contends Lawmaker Hid
Bribe in Freezer. The F.B.I. accused Representative William J. Jefferson, Democrat of
Louisiana, on Sunday [5/21/2006] of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from a Kentucky
businessman and stashing $90,000 from the scheme in his home freezer in Washington.
FBI
Raid on Lawmaker's Office Is Questioned. An unusual FBI raid of a Democratic congressman's
office over the weekend prompted complaints yesterday [5/22/2006] from leaders in both parties, who said
the tactic was unduly aggressive and may have breached the constitutional separation of powers between
the executive and legislative branches of government.
Jefferson calls FBI search
'outrageous'. Rep. William J. Jefferson said yesterday [5/22/2006] that the FBI's weekend
search of his office was "outrageous" and insisted that he is not guilty, despite court documents that
say he was videotaped accepting $100,000 during a bribery investigation. "There are two sides to every
story. There are certainly two sides to this story," said Mr. Jefferson, Louisiana Democrat.
F.B.I. Contends Lawmaker Hid Bribe in
Freezer. The F.B.I. accused Representative William J. Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana, on
Sunday [5/23/2006] of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from a Kentucky businessman and
stashing $90,000 from the scheme in his home freezer in Washington.
Concern
About Search by FBI Is Bipartisan. In a rare display of bipartisan solidarity, Republican
congressional leaders rose to the defense Tuesday [5/23/2006] of a Democratic congressman who is the
subject of a bribery investigation, accusing the Justice Department of improperly searching his
Capitol Hill office.
Former
Aide To Jefferson Gets 8 Years. A federal judge sentenced Brett Pfeffer, a former aide to
Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), to eight years in prison and a $24,000 fine yesterday [5/26/2006] for
bribing the lawmaker, saying, "It would be difficult to overstate the seriousness of this offense."
A Real Culture
of Corruption. What a moment for the Congressional Black Caucus to make a stand. … But
Jefferson is black. So his allies naturally turn to the race card to defend him, even if it means playing
it against Pelosi, about whom many critical things can be said — but not that she's a racist.
Jefferson
showdown hurts only Democrats. This is a fight that shouldn't happen. When the House
Democratic Caucus meets Thursday [6/15/2006] to decide whether Louisiana's Rep. William Jefferson should be
stripped of his seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, members of the Congressional Black Caucus
are expected to mount a bruising defense of their colleague.
Meet William Jefferson's Political
Supporters. Congressman William Jefferson of Louisiana is currently under investigation by the
FBI for allegedly taking bribes from a company seeking business in Nigeria and, as I reported last week, the
feds are apparently also looking at his ties to São Tomé and to some Americans doing
business in that African country.
When Race
Loyalty Asks Too Much. Some members of the Congressional Black Caucus have raised the bloody
shirt of racism in defense of their embattled colleague Rep. William Jefferson. I appreciate their
sense of loyalty to a friend, but Jefferson hasn't given them much to work with.
House Dems Strip
Jefferson of His Assignment. House Democrats, determined to make an election-year point about ethics, voted to strip Rep. William Jefferson
of his committee assignment Thursday night [6/15/2006] while a federal bribery investigation runs its course.
House
takes away Jefferson committee seat. The House voted Friday [6/16/2006] to take away besieged
Rep. William Jefferson's committee seat, then dispatched its own lawyers to join him in court to seek the
return of documents seized in a federal bribery probe. Both the political punishment and the legal
case appeared to be without precedent. Jefferson has not been charged with a crime, and officials
said last month's FBI search of his congressional office was a first.
Another disappointment
from the Black Caucus: The way in which Jefferson has handled himself during this episode, and
the support he has gotten from a number of his Black Caucus colleagues, is an embarrassment and demonstrates,
once again, the sore need for a new kind of black leadership in Washington. Jefferson should have taken
the high road and voluntarily relinquished his committee seat. The fact that he didn't, the fact that
the Congressional Black Caucus leadership supported his decision to resist Nancy Pelosi's request that he step
aside, and the fact that the caucus chose to insert a racial dimension to these events, seriously undermines
the credibility of black leadership.
Scandal
Woes Could Benefit Jefferson, Analysts Say. "Oftentimes, being an embattled Louisiana politician
can actually be a benefit," said Pearson Cross, assistant professor of political science at the University of
Louisiana Lafayette. "If anything, I think voters in the state's 2nd District are going to see him
as 'put upon,' that he was unfairly stripped, and I'm certain he's going to spin it that way."
A
Tale of Friendship, Ambition and Betrayal. In July 2005, Vernon L. Jackson returned home to
Louisville from Washington, where he had just met with Representative William J. Jefferson, the Louisiana
Democrat who had been helping promote his fledgling digital-technology company. David Harper, a lawyer
for the company, said he had never seen Mr. Jackson so demoralized.
Voters
choose between Jefferson, Carter today. After a campaign punctuated by personal attacks, voters
across most of New Orleans and sections of Jefferson Parish go to the polls today to choose between U.S. Rep.
William Jefferson and state Rep. Karen Carter in the 2nd Congressional District.
Louisiana Democrat Incumbent Wins House
Runoff. U.S. Rep. William Jefferson easily defeated his fellow Democratic opponent in a runoff
election Saturday [12/09/2006], despite an ongoing federal bribery investigation. In complete but
unofficial returns, Jefferson, Louisiana's first black congressman since Reconstruction, received 57 percent
of the vote over state Rep. Karen Carter, who had 43 percent. Carter was unable to capitalize on a
scandal that included allegations the FBI found $90,000 in bribe money in Jefferson's freezer.
Jefferson wins
Louisiana runoff. U.S. Rep. William Jefferson easily defeated a fellow Democrat in a runoff
election Saturday, despite an ongoing federal bribery investigation.
Jefferson
swarms back to win re-election. Confounding political pundits and a slew of rivals who had become
confident of his defeat, U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, neatly sidestepped a roiling federal
corruption probe to win re-election on Saturday to his ninth term in Congress.
Pelosi
May Give Jefferson a Lesser Committee Assignment. House Democratic leaders, who have vowed to run
a more ethical Congress, are struggling with how to respond to the reelection of Rep. William J. Jefferson, the
Louisiana Democrat whose Washington home freezer once held $90,000 in alleged bribe money.
CBC wants Jefferson's
seat restored. The Congressional Black Caucus is planning to press Democratic leaders to
reinstate Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) to the Ways and Means Committee, raising the thorny question of how
leaders will handle the fate of Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), who has also come under ethical scrutiny.
Congressional
Black Caucus gives Jefferson standing ovation. On the same day that the 110th Democratic-led
Congress convenes with a plan to immediately pass lobbyist and ethics reforms, the Congressional Black Caucus
Thursday [1/4/2007] gave a standing ovation to Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who faces an
FBI probe into bribery allegations.
Jefferson
political comeback a problem for Dems, delegation. In a political comeback that's astounding even
by Louisiana standards, Rep. William Jefferson began his ninth term in office last week trying to mend fences
with fellow Democrats intent on cleaning up Congress.
Congressman Sued Over Firm's Collapse. A former
stockholder in a technology company sued a beleaguered congressman and a former business associate Tuesday [2/13/2007],
claiming they bilked stockholders by using business funds to pay bribes. The lawsuit alleges that Rep. William
Jefferson, D-La., his wife and Vernon Jackson, former chief executive of the telecommunications firm iGate, schemed to
funnel money to Jefferson, his family and foreign officials.
House
Republicans will attempt to block Jefferson's assignment. House Republicans plan to break recent
precedent and attempt to block a resolution appointing Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) to a spot on the Homeland
Security Committee when it comes to the floor for a vote, Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) indicated today
[2/28/2007]. Blunt blasted Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for her endorsement of Jefferson for the
Homeland Security Committee, calling the selection "ludicrous."
Republicans Set to Block Jefferson's
Appointment to Homeland Security Panel. Republicans plan to force a floor vote on Rep. William
Jefferson's move to the Homeland Security Committee in an unprecedented maneuver to force Democrats to go on
the record supporting their embattled colleague who is the target of a federal bribery investigation.
Jefferson demands return of raid's documents.
Attorneys for Democratic Rep. William Jefferson asked a federal appeals court Wednesday [2/28/2007] to force the
Bush administration to return all documents that were seized during an FBI raid last year on the congressman's office.
Jefferson Saga Continues to Vex Democrats.
Since the news broke in 2005 that FBI agents found $90,000 in cash in the freezer of Rep. William J.
Jefferson's home, House Democrats have not known quite what to do about the Louisiana lawmaker. The latest
embarrassment arose Wednesday, when Democrats delayed action on placing Jefferson on the Homeland Security
Committee after Republicans said they would demand a recorded vote.
Rep. Jefferson: From The
Frying Pan.... Rep. William Jefferson now sits on the Homeland Security Committee. How is
someone unfit to deal with the nation's finances on Ways and Means qualified to deal with terror and classified
intelligence?
Rep. Jefferson Indicted on Fraud,
Bribery Counts. Nine-term Democratic Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was indicted Monday
[6/4/2007] on 16 federal counts of bribery, fraud, racketeering and money laundering. The indictment
includes charges that he paid off a Nigerian official. Almost two years ago, investigators found
$90,000 in cash in Jefferson's freezer.
Rep. Jefferson indicted in bribery
probe. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering,
money-laundering and soliciting more than $400,000 in bribes in connection with years of trying to broker
business deals in Africa.
Indicted Lawmaker Always Fond of
Cash. The $90,000 the FBI says it found in Rep. William Jefferson's freezer wasn't the death
knell of his political career. The Louisiana Democrat still cruised to his ninth House term last year,
propelled by hugs and kisses on the campaign trail from supporters who distinguished him from other
politicians in only one respect: He got caught.
Democrats Slow to Probe
Jefferson Corruption Charges, GOP Says. House Democrats who heralded a new age of ethics after winning a majority
were slow to investigate one of their own, according to their Republican critics. Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) —
re-elected to a ninth term even after an FBI raid allegedly found $90,000 in his freezer during a large-scale corruption
scandal — faces a prison sentence of more than 200 years if convicted on 16 counts including charges of
racketeering, soliciting bribes and money laundering.
House
Moves Against Embattled Jefferson. Monday's indictment of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.)
touched off an ethics battle in the House yesterday, with leaders from both parties moving quickly against
Jefferson even as they accused each other of having no real interest in tighter ethics rules. In short
order, the House last night approved a Democratic motion that would make an ethics investigation automatic
upon the indictment of any House member and then approved a Republican motion that could lead to Jefferson's
expulsion.
Judge
puts freeze on Jefferson's assets. A federal judge Thursday froze the assets of Rep. William Jefferson,
D-La., who was indicted this week on charges of soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.
Rep. Jefferson
Pleads Not Guilty. Rep. William Jefferson pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of soliciting more
than $500,000 in bribes while using his office to broker business deals in Africa. Jefferson, D-La., said
he understood the charges during the federal court hearing. He was released on $100,000 bond. A
94-page indictment, handed down Monday, details 11 separate bribery schemes and 16 criminal counts, including
racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice.
Jefferson denies guilt in cash case.
Rep. William J. Jefferson, Louisiana Democrat, pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of bribery and corruption
in his promotion of telecommunications equipment and services in Africa. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis
accepted the plea during an arraignment in federal court in Alexandria and set a trial date of Jan. 16, as
Mr. Jefferson's attorney, Robert Trout, promised a "vigorous" defense. Mr. Jefferson, who faces
235 years in prison if convicted, was released on $100,000 bond with travel restrictions, including
surrender of his passport.
Group announces
support for Jefferson. Supporters of a Democratic congressman charged with bribery and money
laundering harkened to their civil rights days on Wednesday as they denounced the allegations against U.S.
Rep. William Jefferson. "When it's all over, Bill Jefferson will stand up like Booker T. Washington
and George Washington Carver. He will stand up in the South and he will be victorious," said the
Rev. Samson "Skip" Alexander.
NRA foe Jefferson
ordered to surrender his Guns. When Rep.William Jefferson was arraigned on a boatload of
corruption and racketeering charges on Friday, he was ordered to surrender his firearms. Apparently,
while the Louisiana Democrat stores his FBI-marked bribe money in his freezer in Washington, he stockpiles his
collection of rifles and shotguns in his home in New Orleans. … You might ask yourself, what does a man
who, in 2005, voted against a bill to protect law-abiding gun dealers and manufacturers from litigation blaming
them for criminal misuse of their products by others, need with rifles? Did he own them when he voted
against similar law in 2003?
Ex-FBI agent says the case against
Rep. Jefferson is airtight. A former FBI special agent who worked in the Clinton White House says the
Justice Department was careful to cover all the bases before handing down a 16-count indictment against a popular
member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Jefferson reveals loan.
Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) waited almost two years before notifying the House ethics committee of a loan
he made to Vernon Jackson, the Kentucky businessman now in prison for bribing him, according to financial disclosures
released yesterday. The debt's late disclosure to Congress could further hobble Jefferson's defense when
his case goes to trial in January and embolden the members in both parties calling for his resignation.
Unsealed documents
in Jefferson case reveal new details. Newly unsealed documents in the federal bribery case
against Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, describe a plan to steer profits to the son of the
president of Ghana and a frantic effort to get the congressman to revive a lucrative deal in
Nigeria as it appeared to unravel.
Jefferson,
feds agree on sharing evidence. Attorneys for Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and the Justice
Department have reached agreement on the disclosure of documents, evidence and witness lists for the federal
corruption trial now scheduled for January. Although the case is far from routine, producing the
first-ever FBI raid of a congressman's office and the home of a foreign elected official, the agreement
is typical for pretrial discovery in federal criminal trials.
Jefferson
asks judge to toss 14 charges — And he wants trial moved to Washington. Accusing the Bush Justice
Department of mounting a bogus bribery case and employing race-based tactics, attorneys for Rep. William Jefferson,
D-New Orleans, asked a federal judge Friday [9/7/2007] to throw out 14 of the 16 charges against the nine-term
congressman and to move his trial to Washington, D.C., from northern Virginia.
Rep. William Jefferson Accuses Justice
Department of Seeking Whiter Jury in Case Against Him. Rep. William Jefferson accused the
Justice Department of bringing corruption charges against him in Virginia to reduce the chance of drawing
black jurors. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat who has been charged in an international bribery case,
made the argument Friday in federal court documents seeking to move the case to Washington.
The Editor says...
I smell another OJ Simpson trial approaching.
Prosecutors
Lay Out Case Against Jefferson. Before searching Rep. William J. Jefferson's
New Orleans home in August 2005, FBI agents confronted him with a video that showed him accepting
$100,000 from a government informant, according to a prosecution document filed yesterday [9/27/2007] in
federal court in Alexandria. Afterward, the Louisiana Democrat sank back into a couch in
his living room and "with total dejection remarked 'what a waste,'" according to the government
account, which did not elaborate on his comment.
Firm
tangled in Jefferson case received $450,000. A company whose executives have been named by federal
prosecutors as co-conspirators in the indictment of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) was awarded a $450,000 grant
from a government agency that the congressman allegedly influenced, according to public records. Federal
prosecutors have named top executives of the Louisiana-based company, TDC Overseas Limited, as conspirators in
the lawmaker's alleged bribery scheme involving business projects in Nigeria.
Nice try... Defense:
Jefferson should be charged with influence peddling, not bribery. A Louisiana congressman caught
on tape accepting a $100,000 cash payment should not have been charged with bribery because the alleged conduct
was more akin to influence peddling than actual bribery, defense lawyers argued Friday [10/12/2007].
Jefferson Seeks
to Dismiss Bribery Charges: Jefferson's attorneys made no admission that he engaged in improper
conduct, but one, Amy Jackson, argued that even if the government's allegations are true, they do not constitute
bribery under federal law.
Jefferson wants
trial moved out of Virginia. Notably, the government argues, the investor who first contacted
the FBI lives in northern Virginia; Jefferson flew several times to West Africa out of Dulles International
Airport in Virginia; meetings occurred at restaurants in that state; and the nine-term congressman was filmed
by the FBI accepting a briefcase with $100,000 in cash in a parking garage in Arlington, Va.
Jefferson tries to get case thrown out.
Who says lawyers aren't creative? Attorneys for indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) are citing new Senate
legislation designed to make it easier to prosecute corrupt pols as a reason to throw out parts of the bribery
and corruption case against the lawmaker.
Jefferson
Accused of Two More Schemes. Federal prosecutors on Friday [11/16/2007] accused Rep. William J.
Jefferson (D-La.) of soliciting bribes in two alleged schemes that had not been previously disclosed. The
allegations, detailed in a seven-page document filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, will not result in new
charges, prosecutors said, but they plan to present them during Jefferson's federal bribery trial as evidence of
a pattern of intentional wrongdoing.
Jefferson
machine taking its last gasps. Anyone who happened up pick up a Progressive Democrats ballot in
their way to the polls Saturday might want to keep it, for posterity's sake. This fall's election season
could mark the beginning of the end for the once-mighty political organization, founded and ruled with an iron
fist by embattled U.S. Rep. William Jefferson.
Judge rejects Louisiana
congressman's motion. A federal judge Friday [11/30/2007] rejected an attempt
by a Louisiana congressman charged with taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to
move his trial out of northern Virginia. Rep. William J. Jefferson, D-La., had
argued that the government unfairly brought charges against him in suburban Alexandria rather
than the District of Columbia because it wanted a venue where fewer blacks are in the jury
pool.
Prosecutor
subpoenas signal confidence in Jefferson court date. Subpoenas requested this week by government
attorneys suggest prosecutors expect Rep. William Jefferson's (D-La.) trial to go forward on schedule, despite
his push to delay it. The lead attorney prosecuting Jefferson earlier this week requested 10 subpoenas
for witnesses to appear and testify on the first day of the trial, which is set for Jan. 16.
Testimony: FBI Tracked Rep. Jefferson
Since 1990s. The FBI had information about potentially shady business deals involving a Louisiana
congressman going back the late 1990s — at least eight years before he was indicted for taking
bribes, an FBI agent testified Thursday [12/20/2007]. … The current investigation began in March 2005,
when a prominent northern Virginia businesswoman, Lori Mody, approached the FBI and complained that she was
being swindled in a business deal involving Jefferson and some of his associates.
[That explains why he is being tried in Virginia.]
FBI used subtle
tack with Jefferson. Details that have emerged in court over the past two weeks provide the
fullest look yet of the first encounter between Jefferson and the FBI agents, details of which the congressman
is now trying to keep from the eyes and ears of the jury that will hear his case, scheduled to start in
February.
Jefferson
called House counsel's office during raid. Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) talked to the House
general counsel's office for at least seven minutes and 51 seconds in the middle of an interview with FBI
agents on the August morning in 2005 when his New Orleans home was raided, an FBI agent testified Wednesday
[1/16/2008]. Agent Tim Thibault described the call as "outgoing," apparently a call Jefferson made on
his cell phone during the middle of the FBI interview that began at 7 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2005.
Jefferson describes
hostile questioning. Congressman William Jefferson accused FBI agents Thursday [1/17/2008] of
lying in court and yelling at him during what he said was a hostile interrogation in his New Orleans home in
August 2005. It marked Jefferson's first statements in open court since he pleaded not guilty in his
arraignment in June of last year.
Jefferson
Linked to Africa Diamonds Case. Rep. William Jefferson, facing a federal trial
on corruption charges, has been linked to the prosecution of a former diamond executive in
Botswana, opening a new window onto the congressman's dealings in Africa.
Streisand
pitches in as leaders write checks to defense funds. For lawmakers faced with mounting
legal bills, itŐs good to have friends in high places with deep pockets. … Rep. William
Jefferson (D-La.), who will face trial late this month on an array of bribery and corruption
charges, has collected a total of $166,550 since 2005 to help defray legal costs. Members
of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have sent a steady stream of checks to the Louisiana
Democrat, and this quarter was no different.
Louisiana congressman indictment still valid.
A judge refused Wednesday [2/6/2008] to toss out an indictment against a Louisiana congressman accused of taking
bribes, rejecting the argument that the indictment unconstitutionally infringed on his privileges as a congressman.
Attorneys for Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat, sought to have most of the indictment against their client
thrown out, arguing that testimony given by his staffers to the grand jury that handed up the indictment
violated the Constitution's speech or debate clause.
Case Against
Congressman Began in Africa. During President Clinton's trip to Africa in 1998, Rep. William
Jefferson joined the cadre of politicians, press advisers, trade experts and foreign diplomats aboard Air
Force One. … A decade later, the trip looks increasingly like the starting point for a pattern of corruption
Jefferson allegedly established during the expansion of African trade that followed Clinton's visit.
High
Court Declines Rep. Jefferson Case. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to step into a legal fight between
the Justice Department and a member of Congress who has been indicted on bribery charges. The court declined to
review an appeals court ruling that the FBI reviewed legislative documents in the office of Rep. William
Jefferson, D-La., in violation of the Constitution.
Louisiana Congressman's
Brother Indicted. The eldest brother and political strategist of indicted U.S. Rep. William
Jefferson has been charged with giving payoffs to a school-board president — a bribery case
apparently unrelated to the one against the congressman.
William
Jefferson's brother, sister and niece indicted. The brother, sister and niece of indicted Rep.
William Jefferson (D-La.) were indicted themselves today [6/4/2008] for allegedly skimming hundreds of
thousands of dollars from nonprofit groups they controlled, according to The Associated Press.
Another
Jefferson family member indicted. Betty Jefferson, an elder sister of the indicted congressman,
conspired with other family members to plunder more than $600,000 in taxpayer money from three charities that
were supposed to help inner-city youths, alleged a 31-count indictment Wednesday.
Let's hear it for
Jefferson family values. Congressman "Dollar" Bill Jefferson, D-New Orleans, must be one proud patriarch.
To judge from the federal indictments that continue to rain down, his kinfolk were filled with a desire to be just like him.
They could not, of course, hope to emulate the scale of his alleged scams and shakedowns, which, as befits a politician in such
exalted office, played out across two continents.
Judge sets Dec. 2 trial date for
Jefferson. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III today set a Dec. 2 trial date in the federal corruption
case of Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, although the judge admitted that it could be delayed again. Ellis made
his comments during a hearing in which he again refused a request by Jefferson's attorneys to grant a change of venue for
the trial from Virginia to Washington, D.C.
What
Happened with Rep. William Jefferson's Indictment? Jefferson was allegedly responsible for negotiating,
offering and delivering payments of bribes to the official identified in the indictment as "Nigerian
Official A." On or before Aug. 3, 2005, at his residence in Washington, DC, Jefferson allegedly
secreted in his freezer $90,000 of the $100,000 in cash provided by the CW [Cooperating Witness] as part of the
front-end bribe payment to Nigerian Official A. The cash was separated into $10,000 increments,
wrapped in aluminum foil, and concealed inside various frozen food containers. According to Justice
Department officials, Jefferson faces a maximum of 235 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Jefferson pays
back a witness. As his legal troubles mounted last year, Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) began to
pay off a loan to an executive of a Maryland-based global satellite company who is now cooperating with
prosecutors and could testify against Jefferson. Noah Samara, CEO of Worldspace Inc., made a personal
loan of between $50,000 and $100,000 to Jefferson in 2001.
Jefferson
sibling pleads guilty in fraud. Dealing a blow to her family's hang-tough legal posture, Brenda
Jefferson, the youngest sister of embattled U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, pleaded guilty Wednesday [6/18/2008]
to concealing her knowledge of a conspiracy to skim money from nonprofit groups controlled by relatives.
The plea marked the first admission of guilt by a member of the Jefferson family, five of whom have been
charged with federal crimes in the past year.
The latest: Judge
rejects Jefferson on evidence. A federal judge rejected Rep. William Jefferson's (D-La.) request
to suppress evidence gathered during an FBI search of his Louisiana home in 2005. Judge
T.S. Ellis III determined that FBI agents did not abuse Jefferson's rights during the raid because
he was not arrested or held in custody. Jefferson could have terminated the interview he had with the
agents at any time and could have left the house immediately when the agents started searching his home,
according to the judge.
