William Jefferson And Nigeria

The New York Times had a long, very interesting piece in Sunday's Business section on some shady sounding Washington lobbyists and their ties to a Nigerian official, Victor H. Attah.

However, of interest to Crypt readers, is a special guest appearance by Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), he of the long-running corruption investigation and FBI raid.

The NYT had this to say about Jefferson and Aisha Buhari, who may or may not be the daughter of a former military ruler of Nigeria and whom one Nigerian regulator wants arrested by the Justice Department:

 "Mr. Ribadu’s agency has asked American authorities to arrest Ms. Buhari. That has not happened, but the Justice Department has an interest in her. Last summer, she testified before a grand jury investigating Mr. Jefferson, the congressman, who is suspected of soliciting bribes from American companies seeking business in Nigeria.

The Nigerian official said that American authorities suspect that Ms. Buhari may have served as a financial conduit for the politician. Mr. Jefferson has not been charged with any crimes and has denied any wrongdoing; his lawyer declined to comment. Mr. Ondeck, whose experience as a lawyer is highlighted on GlobalOptions’ Web site, accompanied Ms. Buhari to the courthouse on the day of her testimony. But he did not go as her lawyer; several years ago, he was disbarred. "

You should read the whole article, it's really well done and provides a fascinating window into a world that rarely sees the light of day.

As for Jefferson, remember that he is the subject of a federal corruption probe involving a high-ranking Nigerian official and a telecommunications contract. FBI agents videotaped Jefferson taking $100,000 from a government informant that was allegedly to be used to bribe this money, and $90,000 was seized from Jefferson's home when the feds raided it a few days later.

I repeat, however, that Jefferson has not been charged with any crime at this point, and he has denied any wrongdoing.