The Muckraker's Reference Section
William Jefferson
Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) has represented Louisiana's 2nd District since 1991. Jefferson has been removed from the Ways and Means Committee and the House Committee on the Budget. He was a former co-chairman of the congressional caucus on Nigeria and African trade.
On June 4, 2007, Jefferson was indicted on sixteen counts (five counts of honest services wire fraud, four counts of solicitation of bribes, one count of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, money laundering, racketeering, and obstruction of justice). He pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for February 25, 2008.
The indictment alleges that Jefferson used his official position and staff to enrich himself and family, and that he both offered and accepted bribes relating to business deals in the U.S. and West Africa, including a telecommunications company in Nigeria. A court filing of June 4, 2007 shows that on July 30, 2005 Jefferson was caught on videotape accepting $100,000 from an FBI informant. The money was intended to be used to bribe the Vice President of Nigeria and was later found in Jefferson's freezer after a search of his Washington home.
Jefferson was named ("Representative A") in Brett Pfeffer's and Vernon Jackson's guilty pleas. Pfeffer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official (Jefferson is that official), while Jackson pleaded guilty to bribing an unnamed congressman. Pfeffer, despite his cooperation with authorities, was sentenced to prison for eight years. Jackson was sentenced to prison for seven years and three months.
In May 2006, the FBI seized documents from Jefferson's Congressional Office, a raid that Jefferson's lawyers argued was unconstitutional. A judge ruled in June 2006 that the raid was in fact constitutional. Jefferson appealed the decision and prevailed. On August 3, 2007, the DC Appeals Court ruled that the FBI had overstepped its executive mandate by raiding Jefferson's office. This ruling does not appear to have seriously damaged the government's case because the indictment did not rely on information seized from Jefferson's office.
Jefferson has pledged repeatedly that he will not resign from Congress in the face of the ongoing investigation.
Jefferson was a senior member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee and its subcommittee on Trade until the House removed him from his seat in June 2006. He serves as Co-Chair of the Africa Trade and Investment Caucus as well as the Congressional Caucuses on Brazil and Nigeria.
See Jefferson's Grand Ole Docket entry for ongoing court dates, and follow Jefferson news at TPMmuckraker.
Key Points:
On July 30, 2005, Jefferson was caught on tape accepting $100,000 from an FBI informant to be used to bribe a Nigerian official.
The plan was for Jefferson to use the money to bribe Abubakar Atiku, Nigeria's vice president, to ensure the success of a business deal in that country. In exchange, Jefferson negotiated with the informant for a stake in the profits of the deal.
Two days after receiving the money Jefferson told the informant that the bribe had been delivered. However two days after that, on August 3, the same money was found in the freezer of Jefferson's home after the FBI conducted a raid.
According to a former aide's plea agreement, Jefferson solicited bribes in exchange for helping to get a telecommunications deal done in Nigeria.
Brett Pfeffer, a former aide of Jefferson's, pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges on January 11, 2006. He cooperated with the government's investigation and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
According to Pfeffer's plea, Jefferson offered to help a business deal along in exchange for a cut. Brett Pfeffer, a former aide to Jefferson, was president of a company that was doing business in Nigeria; Jefferson's part of the deal was to help ensure a loan from the Import-Export Bank of the United States and meet with Nigerian officials. In exchange, he wanted 5 to 7 percent of the Nigerian company and a family member on the payroll for about $2,500 to $5,000 a month.
On March 30, 2006, six aides to Jefferson were subpoenaed in connection to the case.
The subpoenas indicated that federal investigators were preparing the case to indict Jefferson. The subpoenas came just one day after Jefferson put his Capitol Hill house up for sale, though his office still insists the sale has no connection to the investigation. Earlier in the month a grand jury subpoenaed documents from the law firm of Jefferson's daughter.
According to businessman Vernon Jackson's plea agreement, Jefferson solicited bribes in exchange for help in promoting Jackson's company in Africa.
Jackson - chairman and CEO of telecommunications technology firm iGate - paid $367,500 in checks and wire transfers over a four-year period to a company controlled by Jefferson's wife in exchange for Jefferson's help in promoting iGate technology in Africa. Jackson also gave the company a 24 percent stake in iGate and paid for $80,000 in travel expenses for Jefferson's trips to Africa to promote iGate.
Jackson said in court that the congressman helped iGate receive a government certification allowing the company to obtain military contracts. After that, the congressman insisted on financial compensation to continue his efforts on behalf of iGate.
On May 20, 2006, the FBI raided Jefferson's Congressional office.
The raid is believed to be the first-ever FBI raid on a Congressional office, according to Roll Call.
The next day the FBI released its search warrant affidavit, detailing a considerable case against Jefferson.
On August 3, 2007, a DC Appeals Court ruled that the search was illegal because the FBI had overstepped its executive mandate. His case, however, is moving forward without materials obtained during this raid.
On June 4, 2007, Jefferson was indicted on numerous counts of fraud, bribery, corruption, money laundering, racketeering and obstruction of justice, and is scheduled for trial on January 16, 2008.
The charges against Jefferson include five counts of honest services wire fraud, four counts of solicitation of bribes, one count of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, money laundering, racketeering, and obstruction of justice. He has pleaded not guilty.
A court filing from the same day revealed that on July 30, 2005 Jefferson was caught on videotape accepting $100,000 from an FBI informant whose conversations with Jefferson also were recorded. The money was intended to be used to bribe a high-ranking Nigerian official and was later found in Jefferson's freezer after a search of his Washington home.
Research by Peter Sheehy
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