August 03, 2007

Court Rules FBI Trampled Constitution In Jefferson Raid

A federal appeals court found today that part of the FBI's raid on Rep. William Jefferson's congressional office was unconstitutional.

The court ordered the Justice Department to return some (but not all) of the documents FBI agents took when they raided Jefferson's Rayburn office in May 2006 as part of a two-year investigation.

Today's ruling only applies to the search conducted at his office -- not his Capitol Hill home, where agents discovered $90,000 wrapped in aluminum foil in his freezer during an August 2005 search. An FBI informant had allegedly given him the cash a few days earlier.

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Posted at 11:13 AM
Posted to: Congress, House, William Jefferson
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June 11, 2007

Mitt Romney = Hot. You = Not.

The Big Mo this presidential election cycle is as dependent on candidates' carefully tailored public personas as on their ground operations, fundraising machines, etc. That's nothing new. But YouTube's effectiveness in shaping the public's perception of candidates is very much the double-edged sword for their campaigns at the moment.

Readers who have better things to do than troll the Web for clips of candidates hedging, singing off-key and singing some more probably shouldn't dismiss the YouTube Effect out of hand. To save some time, a new Web site, PoliticsTV.com, offers a weekly rundown of their top 10 political videos.

Among the gems you may have missed last week: FOX News confusing John Conyers for William Jefferson, Patrick Leahy blowing up (again) during a committee hearing and Mitt Romney's rap debut.

You read correctly.

Continue reading "Mitt Romney = Hot. You = Not."

Posted at 12:50 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, House, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Senate, WH 2008, William Jefferson
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June 08, 2007

Jefferson Pleads Not Guilty To Corruption Charges

UPDATED.

Rep. William Jefferson pleaded not guilty today to 16 counts of bribery, fraud and other criminal offenses. The Louisiana Democrat has been the subject of a two-years-long corruption probe that is most famous for the discovery of $90,000 in cash hidden in his freezer.

Speaking to reporters outside a federal court house in Arlington, Va., Jefferson said he was "absolutely innocent" of the charges against him, and accused the FBI and Justice Department of plotting to destroy him and his loved ones.

"We are truly a blessed family. We believe in public service. We believe in obeying the law. And we believe fervently in an almighty God," Jefferson said before cameras, with his wife by his side. "Incredibly, this is the same family that the U.S. attorney and FBI want you to believe is a family of bribers, racketeers and conspirators."

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Posted at 11:24 AM
Posted to: Congress, House, William Jefferson
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June 06, 2007

House Ethics Panel Announces Investigation Of Jefferson

The House ethics committee authorized an investigation of indicted Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., as leaders of both parties tried Tuesday to outmaneuver the opposition to claim the moral high ground.

Ethics Chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, announced that an investigative subcommittee would be empanelled to review the charges against Jefferson, who was indicted Monday on 16 corruption-related charges.

Her announcement came just hours before the House voted to approve a resolution by Minority Leader John Boehner, D-Ohio, to force an ethics committee investigation and a Democratic countermeasure requiring the committee to investigate any member charged with a crime. Boehner's Jefferson-specific measure was approved, 373-26.

NationalJournal.com has the full story for free; see CongressDaily (subscription) for more of today's news.

Posted at 8:06 AM
Posted to: Congress, Crime, House, William Jefferson
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June 05, 2007

Democratic Leaders Seek Swift Action Against Jefferson

House Democratic leaders are expected to move as early as today to remove Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., from the House Small Business Committee and instigate an Ethics Committee investigation on the heels of his indictment Monday on 16 corruption-related charges.

While Jefferson continued to plead his innocence, senior leadership aides said Democrats hope to distance themselves from the scandal-plagued lawmaker while retaining their party's upper hand on ethics issues that helped them win back control of Congress.

In separate statements, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., both took pains to point out the seriousness of the charges against Jefferson, even while stressing he has yet to be found guilty.

NationalJournal.com has the full story for free; see CongressDaily (subscription) for more of today's news.

Posted at 8:44 AM
Posted to: Congress, House, William Jefferson
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June 04, 2007

Jefferson Hit With Corruption Charges

Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson, the target of an unprecedented FBI raid on the Hill last year, was charged with 16 counts of racketeering, bribery, fraud and money-laundering today. The Democrat has been under an ethics cloud since the raid and the discovery of $90,000 in cash in his freezer last year. Despite the wide-ranging federal investigation into his business dealings, New Orleanians re-elected him late last year.

Calling government corruption a "cancer" on the public, FBI Assistant Director Ken Kaiser said in a press conference this afternoon, "Today's charges represent a grave breach of trust. An elected official used his office to further personal gain."

The New Orleans Times-Picayune has details on the 16-month-long investigation, and The Hill has a copy of the indictment [PDF].

Posted at 3:42 PM
Posted to: Congress, Crime, House, William Jefferson
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