Jefferson Bribery Probe
A timeline of events in the case against former Rep. William Jefferson, D-La.
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The FBI alleges Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., accepted $100,000 in a briefcase from an FBI informant. Jefferson believes the informant, Lori Mody, is collaborating with him in a scheme to bribe Nigerian officials so the pair can enter the Nigerian telecommunications market, according to the FBI.
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The FBI raids Jefferson's homes in New Orleans and Washington. At his Washington home, the FBI says it found $90,000 of the money Jefferson took from Mody packaged in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen food containers in his freezer.
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Hurricane Katrina slams into New Orleans, flooding 80 percent of the city.
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Brett Pfeffer, a former Jefferson aide, pleads guilty in U.S. District Court to bribery-related charges. He admits to counts of aiding and abetting bribery of a public official and conspiracy.
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Vernon Jackson, a Louisville, Ky., businessman, pleads guilty to paying more than $400,000 in bribes to a phony company headed by Jefferson's wife, Andrea, and family members to obtain favors from the congressman.
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FBI raids Jefferson's congressional office, sparking a constitutional debate over separation of powers.
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FBI releases a 95-page affidavit detailing allegations against Jefferson.
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Jefferson is re-elected to the House of Representatives with 57 percent of the vote.
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Jefferson is named in a 16-count indictment including racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 235 years.
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Jefferson pleaded not guilty to charges of soliciting more than $500,000 in bribes while trying to broker business deals in Africa. The Louisiana congressman said he understood the charges during the federal court hearing. He was released on $100,000 bond.
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A federal jury convicts the former
U.S. congressman of taking bribes on 11 of 16 counts in a
case in which agents found $90,000 in his freezer.
STORY: Read more
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Credits:
CBS/AP
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