A nine-term congressman indicted in fraud case

Rep. Jefferson of New Orleans indicted in fraud case
Racketeering, soliciting bribes, conspiracy among 16 charges that could carry 235 years in prison. And $90,000 in the Democrat‘s freezer.
By Johanna Neuman, Times Staff Writer
3:07 PM PDT, June 4, 2007
WASHINGTON -- William Jennings Jefferson, the nine-term congressman from New Orleans who was found to have $90,000 in his freezer almost two years ago, was indicted today on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
The congressman, 63, could face a sentence of 235 years if convicted on all 16 charges in a scheme in which the Democrat allegedly solicited bribes for himself and his family and allegedly bribed a Nigerian official. The indictments were handed up by a grand jury in Alexandria, Va.
Saying the scheme was complex and played out over a long period, U.S. Atty. Chuck Rosenberg of the Eastern District of Virginia said the charges could be boiled down to this: "Mr. Jefferson corruptly traded on his good office and on the Congress where he served in the United States House of Representatives to enrich himself and his family through a pervasive pattern of fraud, bribery and corruption that spanned many years and two continents."
Jefferson was reelected last year despite the investigation but, over objections from some in the Congressional Black Caucus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) stripped him of his slot on the Ways and Means Committee.
The FBI sparked a constitutional debate when agents raided his office, setting a precedent for Justice Department inquiries. The legality of the raid is being argued on appeal, with many members of both parties arguing it violated the separation of power between the legislative and executive branches of government.
The inquiry also shook the political establishment in Nigeria. Jefferson allegedly told associates he needed money to bribe the country‘s then-vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who lost the presidential election in April.
During the lengthy investigation, two former Jefferson associates pleaded guilty, all but ensuring that the congressman would be indicted.
Brett Pfeffer, a former congressional aide, admitted soliciting bribes on Jefferson‘s behalf and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Vernon Jackson, a Louisville, Ky., telecommunications executive, pleaded guilty to paying up to $1 million in bribes to Jefferson in exchange for help in winning business deals in Nigeria and throughout Africa. He was sentenced to more than seven years.
"The public deserves, and is entitled to expect, that government officials are free from corruption," Assistant Atty. Gen. Alice Fisher said.
The congressman has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. His lawyer, Robert Trout, has scheduled a news conference for later today.
johanna.neuman@latimes.com