Jefferson Indicted
Posted on | June 5, 2007
‘Bout time. Sixteen counts against Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson came down yesterday, ranging from offering and accepting hundreds of thousands in bribes (US$90k in FBI-marked bills of which was found hidden in his freezer) to racketeering and obstruction of justice:
The indictment said that at one point, Jefferson drove in his Lincoln Town Car through the streets of Arlington with $100,000 in marked FBI bills meant for a top Nigerian official whose assistance Jefferson needed for a business venture. The lawmaker allegedly stowed $90,000 in his home freezer, wrapped in aluminum foil and concealed inside frozen-food containers.
The funds would be a down payment, Jefferson is accused of explaining to an associate, to ensure that “the little hook is in there.”
The indictment came after a lengthy investigation that became public in 2005 with an FBI raid on Jefferson’s homes. A separate raid in May 2006 on his quarters in the Rayburn House Office Building provoked a political and legal debate over the seizure of his computer hard drive and office files, with House leaders raising questions about the constitutionality of such an intrusive act. President Bush sealed the seized documents, but a federal judge later declared the raid constitutional.
Okay, innocent until proven guilty…but Jefferson has some serious explaining to do. Corruption: it’s not just for Republicans. Read the indictment here.
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