Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington - William Jefferson

Prosecutors recommend 27 year sentence for former Rep. Jefferson

crew — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:34:55 -0500

This should turn some heads on Capitol Hill.

Former Rep. William Jefferson will be sentenced this week.The prosecutors in his case want the former member to spend 27 years in prison:

Prosecutors want a sentence of at least 27 years for a Democrat convicted of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes while in office.

A federal court found 18-year Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) guilty this past August on 11 counts of bribery, racketeering and money-laundering. Federal guidelines specify he could face more than 20 years of prison time for his misdeeds, but prosecutors on Monday made clear they will make the case for at least 27 years — and a maximum of 33 years — when sentencing begins this Friday.

The defense has yet to file its sentencing arguments, according to The Associated Press.

Jefferson's corruption battle first made headlines back in 2005, when the FBI began investigating his financial activities for suspected corruption.

Judge rules no new trial for convicted former Rep. William Jefferson

crew — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:03:30 -0400

You can't make this stuff up: An FBI agent, who was undercover, was having a relationship with an informant in the Jefferson case. But, the judge decided it didn't impact the case against Rep. Jefferson:

Federal Judge T.S. Ellis III today denied former Rep. William Jefferson’s request for a new trial. The request was based partly on the judge's refusal to allow the jury to hear that one of the FBI agents assigned to the corruption case had a sexual relationship with a government informant who secretly recorded conversations with the defendant.

According to the ruling, lead FBI agent Timothy Thibault disclosed June 5, four days before jury selection began, that agent John Guandolo, who served as the undercover driver for the government’s informant Lori Mody, had been involved in a sexual relationship with her.

Mody, who headed a Virginia educational foundation, didn’t testify during the eight-week trial.

Ellis said that disclosure to the jury wasn’t necessary because the government didn’t enter into evidence any of her statements about the contents of meetings that were not secretly recorded by the FBI.

Another "legacy" of the Jefferson Trial: An expansion of protections for members of Congress from criminal prosecutions

crew — Fri, 7 Aug 2009 09:31:22 -0400

The Christian Science Monitor took a look at the "legacy" of the Jefferson trial. Yesterday, we noted that it was "A 'solid win' for Dept. of Justice and 'A strike for integrity in government.'" But, there was some negative fallout from the trial from CREW's perspective: Additional protections for members of Congress through an expansive reading of the Constitution's speech or debate clause.

From the CSM:

The Jefferson case prompted congressional leaders to take a very expansive interpretation of the “speech and debate” clause of the US Constitution, which protects lawmakers from prosecution for their legislative activities. The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that a member of Congress must be provided advance notice and the right to review materials before a search is conducted, and the US Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal.

“It is now very difficult [for law enforcement] to [wire]tap a member of Congress and be sure [that lawmaker] will never have a conversation about what happened on the floor or in committee,” says Ms. Sloan.

At the time of the FBI raid in May 2006, then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert and
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi jointly declared it a violation of separation of powers in that it gave federal investigators unconstitutional access to a lawmaker’s privileged materials.

“This was the case of the Department of Justice making bad law for itself,” says Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School here. “This was a very thuggish and amateurish raid conducted on an office of Congress. The result was to make Jefferson a victim and to radically increase the delays and cost in the case.”

The post-Jefferson standard is now being tested in the courts in the case of former Rep. Rick Renzi (R) of Arizona, who is contesting evidence from a wiretap that included a conversation related to official business.

The new threshold for federal investigators is that “not only can’t you use it, you can’t accidentally see it,” adds Ms. Sloan. “That is a very expansive view of the … Constitution.”

A "solid win" for Dept. of Justice and "A strike for integrity in government"

crew — Thu, 6 Aug 2009 10:33:26 -0400

There are positive repercussions for the Jefferson verdict. Hopefully, it sends a powerful message to elected officials about integrity in government:

The guilty verdict against Jefferson is a solid win for the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, which had suffered badly in the fallout over the botched corruption prosecution of former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Stevens was convicted last October of failing to report improper gifts from an Alaska businessman, but Attorney General Eric Holder moved to vacate the decision following revelations that prosecutors had failed to provide all the evidence to the defense team.

The Department of Justice is also still moving forward on its prosecution of former Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), who has been charged with insurance fraud and with failing to disclose a personal financial interest in a federal land swap. Renzi has denied the allegations, and congressional leaders have also formally objected to how the FBI handled a wiretap of Renzi’s phone.

Wednesday’s verdict — while not unexpected — was hailed by prosecutors and watchdog groups as a strike for integrity in government.

"The American public has a right to expect members of Congress to focus on the people’s interest, not their own interests, while serving in government. Today’s verdict reinforces that ideal,” said the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

CREW's statement on conviction of former Rep. William Jefferson

crew — Wed, 5 Aug 2009 18:07:49 -0400

Today’s verdict confirms what CREW has known to be true all along, former Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-LA) conduct was not merely shady, as his attorneys argued, but was downright illegal. Accepting Mr. Jefferson’s argument that requiring those who asked him to use his official position to facilitate deals in Africa to cut him in on those deals was not bribery would have left members of Congress free to sell their services to the highest bidder.

The American public has a right to expect members of Congress to focus on the people’s interest, not their own interests, while serving in government. Today’s verdict reinforces that ideal.

BREAKING: William Jefferson found guilty on 11 of 16 corruption charges

crew — Wed, 5 Aug 2009 17:47:18 -0400

At long last, a verdict in the case of former Rep. William Jefferson. Guilty eleven times::

In the 16-count indictment, Jefferson was charged with soliciting bribes and other crimes for a series of schemes in which he helped American businesses broker deals in West African in exchange for payments or financial considerations to companies controlled by members of his family, including his brother Mose, his wife, Andrea, their five daughters and a son-in-law.

Jefferson, who represented the New Orleans-based 2nd Congressional District for nine terms, will now face sentencing by Judge T.S. Ellis III, who earlier meted out stiff sentences for lesser figures in the case. According to the U.S. attorney's office, Jefferson faced 235 years in prison if convicted on all counts, and will still face substantial prison time.

The verdict comes four years after the Aug. 3, 2005 raids of Jefferson's homes in New Orleans and Washington, D.C., in which the FBI found $90,000 in cash hidden in the freezer of his D.C. home, money the government said Jefferson was going to deliver as a bribe to Atiku Abubakar, then vice president of Nigeria, to gain his help with a telecommunications deal in Nigeria being pursued by Lori Mody, a Northern Virginia businesswoman.

Jefferson Trial Update: Closing arguments have been made. Jury should begin deliberating today.

crew — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:45:41 -0400

It seems like the William Jefferson saga has been going on for years, because it has been going on for years. We named Jefferson one of the most corrupt members of Congress back in 2006. But, there may soon be a conclusion of the trial. The jury should start its deliberations later today:

Wednesday's closing arguments before a packed courtroom, interspersed as they were with audio and videotapes of Jefferson secretly taped by Virginia businesswoman Lori Mody, brought to a dramatic close the trial of the nine-term member of Congress, which began with jury selection on July 9. Judge T.S. Ellis III will deliver his instructions to jurors this morning, after which the jury of eight women and four men will begin their deliberations.

For six weeks, through more than 40 witnesses and 700 exhibits, the government presented evidence suggesting that Jefferson had, in one scheme after another, agreed to help American businesses with deals in West Africa so long as they agreed to cut into the deal some Jefferson family company -- under the control of his brother, Mose; wife, Andrea; his five daughters or sons-in-law that the government contends were nothing but "shell, sham, paper vehicles designed for the sole purpose to cover up and conceal."

"He never let an opportunity to demand a bribe payment pass him by," said Bellows, noting that if he and his family didn't make the money they always seemed to have their sights set on, "it wasn't for lack of trying."

Jefferson Trial Update: Accountant testifies about consulting fees paid to firm that had no expenses

crew — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:06:25 -0400

The criminal trial of William Jefferson is continuing in Federal District Court in Alexandria,VA. Nola.com continues to liveblog the proceedings.

Today, an accountant who used to work for the congressman, his campaign and his wife's "consulting" company testified that Mrs. Jefferson's firm took in lots of money, but had no real expenses:

A company created by the wife of former Rep. William Jefferson billed a Kentucky technology firm for thousands of dollars in consulting fees without spending anything on normal operational expenses like office space, clerical workers, telephones or travel, the congressman's former accountant testified today.

Jack Swetland, a New Orleans CPA who served as the Democratic congressman's tax accountant and campaign treasurer, said he was aware that the ANJ company, named for Jefferson's wife and daughters, was supposed to be getting $7,500 a month from iGate Inc., and made a one-time deposit of $300,000 from the telecommunications firm, while incurring no expenses.

Federal prosecutors allege ANJ was nothing but a shell company created to hide the payments iGate was making for Jefferson's help in brokering deals in West Africa. Jefferson is facing a 16-count indictment that includes bribery and fraud charges. Jefferson has pleaded innocent, and his defense team says that his actions were as a private citizen and not subject to the bribery statute.

Nola.com has up-to-the-minute coverage of the trial of former Congressman William Jefferson

crew — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:16:52 -0400

Bruce Alpert from the Times-Picayune is liveblogging the criminal trial of former Congressman William Jefferson at nola.com.

From Alpert's reporting, we get the testimony of the government's first witness, Vernon Jackson:

The federal corruption trial of former Rep. William Jefferson resumed this morning with testimony from the founder of a technology firm who has pleaded guilty to paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to companies controlled by the congressman's family.

Vernon Jackson, former CEO of iGate, said he made the payments in exchange for Jefferson's help in arranging contacts and deals with Western African officials. He said Jefferson was using his influence as a congressman, not acting as a consultant or private businessman.

The distinction is key to the government's 16-count indictment of Jefferson, who is accused of trading on his public office for personal gain. Jefferson has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys argue that the bribery charges against him should be dismissed because they do not involve "official acts" such as voting or introducing legislation and earmarks.

Conducting the examination, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebeca Bellows asked Jackson if Jefferson ever told the various officials and business people they met that he was acting as a private businessman, Jackson said: "Never."

Did he ever reveal his financial state or business interests in Jackson's company? "No."

William Jefferson's bribery trial starts today

crew — Tue, 9 Jun 2009 10:30:00 -0400

It's been a long time in the works with appeals all the way to the Supreme Court, but today, the trial of former Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) begins:

Nearly four years after federal agents found $90,000 in alleged bribe money in his freezer, former congressman William Jefferson goes to trial Tuesday on charges he sought money, stock and payments to his relatives in exchange for his help in landing African business deals for U.S. companies.

The Louisiana Democrat has maintained his innocence since the FBI raided his homes in New Orleans and Washington in August 2005 and found cash an informant allegedly gave Jefferson to bribe a Nigerian official. Juror screening is to begin in Alexandria, Va., for Jefferson's trial on 16 federal charges, including bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and racketeering.

The last congressional corruption trial ended with the conviction of then-senator Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, last fall. In April, Attorney General Eric Holder asked a judge to throw out Stevens' conviction. The two top officials in the Justice Department's anti-corruption division are under investigation for their roles in the Stevens case, where prosecutors failed to turn over key evidence which could have helped the senator's defense to charges he failed to report gifts from wealthy friends.