-
Former Representative William Jefferson Receives 13 Years in Prison for Bribery and Racketeering
Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson (D-La) (2nd L) walks with his wife, Dr. Andrea Green Jefferson (2nd R) as they arrive for his sentencing at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, Virginia November 13, 2009. Jefferson, who was caught with $90,000 in cash in his freezer, was convicted on multiple charges of bribery and money laundering
William Jefferson was sentenced this afternoon to 13 years in prison.
Technorati Tags: William_Jefferson
-
Former Representative William “Cash in the Freezer†Jefferson CONVICTED of Corruption
Former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson, left, stands outside the Albert V. Bryan Courthouse with his wife, Andrea, after being convicted on 11 of 16 counts, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009, in Alexandria, Va.
This conviction was a long time coming for this Louisiana Democrat.Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana was convicted Wednesday on 11 of the 16 corruption charges against him in a case that included the discovery of $90,000 in his freezer.
A federal court jury convicted Jefferson on four bribery counts, three counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud and one count of racketeering. He was acquitted on five other counts including wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Jefferson, a 62-year-old Democrat, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 4, 2007, about two years after federal agents said they found the cash in his freezer. Authorities said the cash was part of a payment in marked bills from an FBI informant in a transaction captured on video.
Jefferson had pleaded not guilty. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 150 years in prison, with sentencing tentatively set for October 30.
After the verdict on the fifth day of jury deliberations, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis turned down a prosecution request for Jefferson to be taken into custody, ruling that he posed no flight risk.
The verdict showed that “no person, not even a congressman, is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Dana Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia. Asked what might have turned the case in the prosecution’s favor, Boente said: “We always thought that a powerful piece of evidence in this case was $90,000 in a freezer.”
A stern-faced Jefferson emerged from the courthouse with his lawyer, Robert Trout, who said the verdict would be appealed.
Jefferson can appeal but it looks to Flap that he is going to federal prison after almost four years of legal wrangling after the cash was found in Jefferson’s freezer.
Interestingly enough, Jefferson was acquitted on the charge involving the $90,000 in frozen cash that purportedly was to be delivered to the Vice President of Nigeria.
However, the Harvard Law School graduate and the first African American Congressman from Louisiana since Reconstruction will be spending his retirement days pondering the frozen cash and what ruin plus shame it brought him and his family.
Previous:
The William Jefferson Archive
Technorati Tags: William Jefferson
-
The Democrat Culture of Corruption Add Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Kiss His Senate Chances Good Bye
Add Jesse Jackson, Jr. to the group with William Jefferson, Elliot Spitzer, and Hot Rod Blogojevich.
-
Representative William “Cash in the Freezer” Jefferson Defeated for Re-Election by Little Known Republican
Anh ‘Joseph’ Cao, a Vietnamese-American, speaks to a reporter as he campaigns in eastern New Orleans. Cao, a Republican, became the first Vietnamese-American in Congress in a predominantly black and heavily Democratic district, beating nine term Representative William Jefferson
Democrat Representative William Jefferson has been defeated tonight by a little known Republican for re-election to the House.Voters in Louisiana ousted indicted Democratic Rep. William Jefferson on Saturday, instead electing a Republican attorney who will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress.
Unofficial results showed Anh “Joseph” Cao denying Jefferson a 10th term. Republicans made an aggressive push to take the seat from the 61-year-old incumbent, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, laundering money and misusing his congressional office.
Cao, 41, won a predominantly black and heavily Democratic district that covers most of New Orleans.
A barrage of election-day automated telephone calls on Cao’s behalf flooded the district, including a pitch from the national Republican Party.
The national GOP ran ads citing Jefferson’s indictment for corruption and apparently they paid off.
Now, Jefferson will have plenty of time to fight the charges in court when his trial eventually begins. No trial date has been set as of yet.
What an embarassment.
This corrupt idiot should have been kicked out of office years ago.
Previous:
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Federal Appeals Court Paves the Way for Bribery TrialRepresentative William Jefferson Watch: The Sap Keeps On Running
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Not a Good Day
Technorati Tags: Wiilaim Jefferson, Joseph Cao
-
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Federal Appeals Court Paves the Way for Bribery Trial
Democrat Congressman William Jefferson and his wife, Dr. Andrea Green-Jefferson, right, acknowledge the crowd at his election night party after Jefferson beat runoff opponent Helena Moreno for the 2nd Congressional District seat he has held for nine terms in New Orleans, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008
Looks like Congressman Jefferson is finally going to receive his day in court on the 16 count federal indictment.A federal appeals court has upheld bribery charges against U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, clearing the way for a trial.
The Louisiana Democrat sought to dismiss the indictment, claiming that his constitutional rights were violated when the grand jury received evidence that violated legislative immunity.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected Jefferson’s claims, ruling that prosecutors can pursue the case without making reference to constitutionally protected material.
A lower court judge previously refused to dismiss the indictment, saying Jefferson was trying to apply immunity so broadly that it would make it virtually impossible to ever charge a congressman with a crime.
Technorati Tags: William Jefferson
-
Representative William Jefferson Watch: The Sap Keeps On Running
Rep. William Jefferson (D-La) leaves U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia after arraignment proceedings against him in Alexandria, Virginia June 8, 2007
Despite his indictment and the cash found in his freezer Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson is running for re-election.
Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, announced Tuesday that he will seek re-election to a 10th term even as he faces a Dec. 2 political corruption trial that he called an “overly zealous” prosecution based on “false factual allegations.”
A 16-count federal indictment filed in June 2007 “has not prevented my delivering for our district and our state,” Jefferson said in a statement announcing his candidacy.
“My family and I have sworn a great oath to trust God and to fight on to vindicate ourselves and our good name,” Jefferson said. “This we will do. And, in none of it, will I or they sacrifice our continued strong commitment and effective delivery of the things our people need to recover from the storm and from a bad economy.”
After details of the federal investigation of Jefferson became public after a raid of his congressional office in May 2006, House Democrats stripped him of his position on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
He remains without a committee assignment in the 110th Congress, despite his surprisingly easy victory in a December 2006 runoff against state Rep. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans.
Some political analysts think Jefferson will have a harder time winning re-election this year, given that since his indictment the congressman’s brother and political adviser, Mose Jefferson, and sister Betsy Jefferson, the Orleans Parish 4th District assessor, were indicted on charges they conspired to loot more than $600,000 in taxpayer money from three charities they established to help inner-city youths.
In another family scandal Representative William Jefferson’s younger sister, Brenda, today pled guilty in a charity scam.
Wow! What a family! They even steal from themselves.
-
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Not a Good Day
Democrat Representative William Jefferson, Louisiana
U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III has refused to dismiss bribery charges against Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.).
Jefferson is accused of orchestrating a complicated, and multi-layered scheme to receive bribes from companies seeking business in Western Africa. Proving bribery against a lawmaker is difficult because prosecutors must show that the defendant provided an “official act†such as a voting a certain way or sponsoring legislation in return for money or items he received. His lawyers argued that Jefferson didn’t do anything in his capacity as a congressman that could be considered a bribe.
U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III turned that legal theory on its head in his denial of the motion to dismiss, filed late last week. He ruled that bribery charges could be brought even if the activity in question doesn’t appear to fit into “responsibilities assigned by law.â€
He said it is up to the jury to decide whether Jefferson’s promotion or advocacy of certain business projects to the politicians in the African countries and the travel associated with that are related to his duties as a congressman.
In his denial, Judge Ellis declared that the question of whether or not the government is able to prove its bribery case “is a question properly addressed at trial, not on a motion to dismiss an indictment.â€
So, off to trial EVENTUALLY (there is another motion pending in the appellate court) Congressman William Jefferson goes – while maintaining his office for all of these many months.
But, now there are APPARENTLY further legal troubles on the horizon for Freezer Cash Bill.
Not a good day in the life of William Jefferson.
Michael Ramirez on William Jefferson
Previous:
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Federal Prosecutors Lay Out Their Case Against Jefferson
-
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Federal Prosecutors Lay Out Their Case Against Jefferson
Democrat Representative William Jefferson, Louisiana
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 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.
Jefferson then “questioned how his reputation could survive” and expressed concern whether the search warrant affidavit could be permanently sealed to keep the information from being made public, according to the document.
Meanwhile, on the same day, FBI agents found $90,000 of the $100,000 in marked bills in Jefferson’s freezer at his Capitol Hill home. The government alleged that Jefferson took the money from a Virginia businesswoman who was working as an informant, to bribe a Nigerian official in a business deal.
The pretrial document provides a glimpse into the public corruption investigation’s early months. It was among 14 answers filed yesterday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria in response to motions filed this month by Jefferson’s lawyers.
Why haven’t Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts in the House Democrat caucus insisted on Jefferson’s resignation?
After Jefferson was confronted by the FBI, all Jefferson was concerned with was shielding his misdeeds from the public.
Real nice……….
Previous:Michael Ramirez on Democrat Representative William Jefferson
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Boehner Seeks Jefferson Expulsion from the House
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Jefferson Will Be Indicted
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Freezer Burn
Representative William Jefferson Watch: GOP Objects to Jefferson Homeland Security Seat
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Jefferson on House Homeland Security Committee
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Tale of Friendship, Ambition and Betrayal
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Appeals Court Rules Jefferson Has 2 Days to Review Documents
Representative William Jefferson Watch: FBI Raid on Jefferson’s House Office Legal
Representative William Jefferson Watch: “Trying to Protect Their Ownâ€
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Jefferson Refuses to Quit Ways and Means Committee
Representative William Jefferson Watch: GOP Challenges FBI Raid of Jefferson’s Office
Representative William Jefferson Watch: “There are Two Sides to Every Storyâ€
Representative William Jefferson Watch: FBI has BRIBES on Tape
Technorati Tags: WilliamJefferson
-
Michael Ramirez on Democrat Representative William Jefferson
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Jefferson Will Be Indicted
Fox News: Judge Freezes Congressman 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.
Among the 16 criminal counts Jefferson is facing is a criminal forfeiture count, and prosecutors have already said they will seek to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars from Jefferson that they believe he obtained illicitly by peddling his influence to help broker business deals in Africa.
Jefferson is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in U.S. District Court.
Previous:
Technorati Tags: Michael RamirezWilliam Jefferson
-
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Boehner Seeks Jefferson Expulsion from the House
U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg (L) is joined by Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher (R) as they announce the indictment of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) on 16 counts of public corruption, including bribery, in Washington, June 4, 2007. Jefferson was indicted on Monday on 16 criminal counts for conspiring to solicit bribes and pay off a Nigerian official, with $90,000 of an intended bribe found hidden in his home freezer wrapped in aluminum foil.
Boehner seeks Jefferson expulsion
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) moved quickly to force the expulsion of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) from Congress following his indictment Monday on federal corruption charges.
The Republican leader will ask members of the House to vote on a resolution requiring the ethics committee to review the indictment filed against him in order to seek his expulsion from the House, according to his office.
Boehner will offer a privileged resolution on the House floor as early as Tuesday calling for the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to review the 94-page indictment filed against Jefferson Monday. The House will then vote on his resolution calling for the ethics panel to act.
The Justice Department indicted the Louisiana Democrat Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money laundering.
And the Speaker should immediately ask Jefferson to resign from all House Committees pending his trial.
A 16 count federal indictment does not look good for Jefferson or the Democrat’s “Culture of Corruption.”
Flap thinks Jefferson should resign but Jefferson will only do that after his “plea deal.”
Previous:
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Jefferson Will Be Indicted
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Freezer Burn
Representative William Jefferson Watch: GOP Objects to Jefferson Homeland Security Seat
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Jefferson on House Homeland Security Committee
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Tale of Friendship, Ambition and Betrayal
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Appeals Court Rules Jefferson Has 2 Days to Review Documents
Representative William Jefferson Watch: FBI Raid on Jefferson’s House Office Legal
Representative William Jefferson Watch: “Trying to Protect Their Ownâ€
Representative William Jefferson Watch: Jefferson Refuses to Quit Ways and Means Committee
Representative William Jefferson Watch: GOP Challenges FBI Raid of Jefferson’s Office
Representative William Jefferson Watch: “There are Two Sides to Every Storyâ€
Representative William Jefferson Watch: FBI has BRIBES on Tape
Technorati Tags: WilliamJefferson