ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 4, 2007
Rep. Jefferson Indicted In Bribery Case
16 Counts Brought Against Louisiana Democrat; $90,000 In Cash Was Found In His Freezer
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Play CBS Video Video Rep. Jefferson Indicted The discovery of thousands of dollars in cash in a freezer has ended in the indictment of Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, on charges of bribery. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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FBI agents load the back of a minivan at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 21, 2006, after searching the offices of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
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Rep. William Jefferson waves as he leaves a polling place on Dec. 9, 2006. Despite being the subject of a bribery investigation, Jefferson won re-election. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Timeline Jefferson Bribery Probe La. congressman indicted on 16 counts ranging from racketeering to conspiracy.
The indictment in federal court in Alexandria, Va., lists 16 alleged violations of federal law with prison terms totaling as much as 235 years. Jefferson is charged with racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money-laundering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy.
He is the first sitting congressman to face charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits corporate bribery overseas.
The indictment claims Jefferson bribed Nigerian officials to pave the way for U.S. businesses — deals in telecommunications, oil fields, sugar, fertilizer and waste recycling plants, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. In return, he demanded monthly payments, profit shares and stock for his family-owned businesses.
The scheme was complicated, and Jefferson set up a front company to hide the money, prosecutors said.
"But the essence of the charges are really very simple: Mr. Jefferson corruptly traded on his good office and on the Congress," said Chuck Rosenberg, the U.S. attorney for eastern Virginia.
In August 2005, investigators raided Jefferson's home in Washington and found $90,000 in cash stuffed in a box in his freezer.
The 63-year-old Jefferson, whose Louisiana district includes New Orleans, has said little about the case publicly but has maintained his innocence. He was re-elected last year despite the investigation.
Joseph Persichini, who leads FBI's Washington field office, called on the public to "take the time, read this charging document line by line, scheme by scheme, count by count. This case is about greed, power and arrogance."
Jefferson, in New Orleans on Monday, could not immediately be reached for comment. His lawyer was planning an afternoon news conference.Read The Grand Jury Indictment
Two of Jefferson's associates have already struck plea bargains with prosecutors and have been sentenced.
Brett Pfeffer, a former congressional aide, admitted soliciting bribes on Jefferson's behalf and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Another Jefferson associate, Louisville, Ky., telecommunications executive Vernon Jackson, pleaded guilty to paying between $400,000 and $1 million in bribes to Jefferson in exchange for his assistance securing business deals in Nigeria and other African nations. Jackson has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
Both Pfeffer and Jackson agreed to cooperate in the case against Jefferson.
The impact of the case has stretched across continents and even roiled presidential politics in Nigeria. According to court records, Jefferson told associates he needed cash to pay bribes to the country's vice president, Atiku Abubakar.
Abubakar denied the allegations, which figured prominently in that country's presidential elections in April: He ran for the presidency and finished third.
The indictment does not name Abubakar. But it describes Jefferson's dealings with an unnamed "Nigerian Official A" who was a high-ranking official in Nigeria's executive branch and had a spouse in Potomac, Md. One of Abubakar's wives lived in that Washington suburb.
Court records indicate Jefferson was videotaped taking a $100,000 cash bribe from an FBI informant. Most of that money later turned up in the freezer in Jefferson's home.
In May 2006, the FBI raided Jefferson's congressional office, the first such raid on a congressman's Capitol office. That move sparked a constitutional debate over whether the executive branch stepped over a boundary.
The raid's legality is still being argued on appeal. House leaders objected to the search, saying it was an unconstitutional intrusion on the lawmaking process. The FBI said the raid was necessary because Jefferson and his legal team had failed to respond to requests for documents.
Some but not all the documents seized in the raid have been turned over Justice Department prosecutors.
Among the specific charges listed in the indictment:
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From Politics
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- GunOwnerDan,
Please don't slander Prostitutes by comparing them to politicians. - Reply to this comment
- POLITICIAN = PROSTITUTE
Any questions? - Reply to this comment
- Praise the Lord, it looks like the Dems are caught in their own web of deceipt. They threatened to 'clean up' government, only to see the beginning of their own little club start going down in flames.
This is just the beginning. The Dems wanted to play hardball, now they are gonna be shown as the liars they truly are. - Reply to this comment
- Praise the Lord, it looks like the Dems are caught in their own web of deceipt. They threatened to 'clean up' government, only to see the beginning of their own little club start going down in flames.
This is just the beginning. The Dems wanted to play hardball, now they are gonna be shown as the liars they truly are. - Reply to this comment
- Praise the Lord, it looks like the Dems are caught in their own web of deceipt. They threatened to 'clean up' government, only to see the beginning of their own little club start going down in flames.
This is just the beginning. The Dems wanted to play hardball, now they are gonna be shown as the liars they truly are. - Reply to this comment
- Praise the Lord, it looks like the Dems are caught in their own web of deceipt. They threatened to 'clean up' government, only to see the beginning of their own little club start going down in flames.
This is just the beginning. The Dems wanted to play hardball, now they are gonna be shown as the liars they truly are. - Reply to this comment
- Praise the Lord, it looks like the Dems are caught in their own web of deceipt. They threatened to 'clean up' government, only to see the beginning of their own little club start going down in flames.
This is just the beginning. The Dems wanted to play hardball, now they are gonna be shown as the liars they truly are. - Reply to this comment
- Praise the Lord, it looks like the Dems are caught in their own web of deceipt. They threatened to 'clean up' government, only to see the beginning of their own little club start going down in flames.
This is just the beginning. The Dems wanted to play hardball, now they are gonna be shown as the liars they truly are. - Reply to this comment
- Praise the Lord, it looks like the Dems are caught in their own web of deceipt. They threatened to 'clean up' government, only to see the beginning of their own little club start going down in flames.
This is just the beginning. The Dems wanted to play hardball, now they are gonna be shown as the liars they truly are. - Reply to this comment
- First it was O.J., then it was Kobe.....and now it's W.J.!!! Da man is jus trying to keep us DOWN! :)
- Reply to this comment
- "Politician or prostitute?
What's the difference?"
"A prostitute has limits as to what they would do for money?"
Posted by mcdazz
I think you've got it! - Reply to this comment
- One down, a few hundred more to go.........
Term limits and finance reform!!!!
Posted by GunOwnerDan at 07:48 AM : Jun 05, 2007
How about annual performance review for Pres and Congress? Low enough evaluation by constituents and you're fired. - Reply to this comment
- richzerb,
Amen!
Let's hope that Jefferson & Libby both get the sentencing they deserve! - Reply to this comment
- Corrupt politicians need to be publicly impaled by a large pike on live television.
- Reply to this comment
- The problem with these people is the punishment never fits their crime. We have people doing 20 years for stealing a $15,000 car, yet some businessman or politician who steals millions (or even billions now days) gets a short stay in a country club. People in positions of authority (police, gov. officials, etc.) should be given stiffer penalties (like three times the average citizens sentence) on a scale proportional to the general public for any abuse of power.
- Reply to this comment
- Democrats call a crook a crook.
Republicons call a crook Mr. President. - Reply to this comment
- GunOwnerDan wrote:
"Politician or prostitute?
What's the difference?"
A prostitute has limits as to what they would do for money? - Reply to this comment
- janem4 wrote:
"mcdazz-you guys keep brnging up Foley and I have to constantly remind you of your own pervs. Now, wasn't it frank who ran a male "dating service" out of his Washington office?? Wasn't it studds who told everyone to "mind thier own business" in regards to his young play thing??"
I'm assuming you're talking about Barney Frank and
Gerry Studds?
You might want to check your facts there.
Frank fired a person who he found had been using his apartment for "escort services" when he was out of town. Frank also reported what had happened to the House Ethics Committee, who investigated it and found that he had not known or been involved in the activity.
Studds was apparently involved in a consensual relationship with a 17 year old page boy - apparently not breaking any State Laws.
I find it interesting that you mentioned Studds name, but failed to mention a Republican that was in trouble at the same time - Dan Crane, who was apparently in consensual sexual relationship with a 17 year old female page.
Fact is, their behavior was wrong (in my opinion), just the same as Foley and Jim Kolbe's behavior was wrong. - Reply to this comment
- The most "ethical" congress in history? Thanks, Nancy. I notice that this QUICKLY disappeared off the front page of CBS' website......like I'm sure it would if he were a republican!
Wonder how long it will be before he pulls the, "whitey is trying to set me up cause I'm a black man" defense. I'm guessing before lunch - today. - Reply to this comment
- Some of you need to learn to stay on topic and not just rant about unrelated ***. This story has nothing to do about the president, vice president, the war in Iraq (as viel as these thing s are, and I am a republican and hate these two jerks)or the FBI searching his office. If we exclude his office (property of the public)from lawful search and siezure then we are just giving him a safe haven from which to launch his criminal activities. This guy, and everyone like him democrate or republican, needs to get the entire 235 years and send him to the worst s hithole prison we have. The story is about political corruption and the need for reform in our country.
- Reply to this comment
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