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Sun 28 May, 2006 07:35 am
Jefferson Probe Includes Other Suspected Schemes
FBI Is Said to Be Looking for a Pattern
By Allan Lengel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 28, 2006; A04
The FBI is focusing on at least eight different suspected bribery schemes as part of its corruption probe of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), according to a federal affidavit and sources familiar with the investigation.
A key part of the FBI probe has centered around Jefferson's dealings with a Louisville high-tech company, iGate Inc., that was marketing broadband technology for the Internet and cable television in Africa.
But an affidavit used in last weekend's controversial search of Jefferson's Capitol Hill office stated that authorities are looking at "at least seven other" bribery schemes in which Jefferson "sought things of value in return for his performance of official acts."
Some of those schemes may be beyond the statute of limitations but could help show a pattern, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The records and materials seized during the FBI raid could shed more light on these areas, according to the affidavit.
Investigators are looking at a number of companies listed under the names of Jefferson, his wife or other relatives, according to court documents.
Since January, two people, including iGate's owner, Vernon L. Jackson, have pleaded guilty to bribing him.
Federal authorities have alleged in court documents that Jefferson took more than $500,000 in bribes in exchange for using his official position to promote iGate's technology in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon. The FBI said it videotaped Jefferson taking a $100,000 payoff on July 30, 2005.
The affidavit discloses an alleged scheme in which Jefferson introduced officials from Netlink Digital Television (NDTV), a Nigerian company, to Jackson.
NDTV agreed to pay iGate nearly $45 million for the right to use its technology and to distribute it in Nigeria. The affidavit alleges that Jefferson, without iGate's knowledge, separately negotiated with NDTV officials to receive $5 for each subscriber in "return for Jefferson's official assistance if the deal was successful."
In early January 2004, NDTV canceled the deal with iGate. An Aug. 3 raid on Jefferson's apartment turned up a letter from NDTV's law firm concluding that "Jefferson, Vernon Jackson" and others had violated Nigerian laws.
The letter also stated: "I have also attached a list of your bank accounts through which you insisted that money be paid (which it was) to you in relation to the iGate-NDTV transaction."
It is unclear whether the money was paid, according to the FBI affidavit.
What was the point of storing money in the freezer?
Miller
Miller wrote:What was the point of storing money in the freezer?
He thought it was a good hiding place.
BBB
Miller wrote:What was the point of storing money in the freezer?
Hasn't the guy ever heard of BANKS?
Quote:What was the point of storing money in the freezer?
He wanted to have some "cold cash?"
He has 3 daughters who graduated from Harvard Law school. Suppose, he's saving now to put his grandkids through Harvard, too?
DoJ Fires Back at Jefferson, Claims He Hid Evidence
DoJ Fires Back at Jefferson, Claims He Hid Evidence
By Paul Kiel - May 30, 2006, 6:58 PM
I didn't think it was possible, but the Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) case just got even uglier.
Today the Justice Department filed their response to Jefferson's lawyer's motion, where he argued that the search violated the "Speech or Debate" clause of the Constitution and demanded that the FBI return the seized documents. It is a lengthy, detailed dismantling of that argument - and TPMm readers interested in the Constitutional questions here should give it a read.
But beyond the legal argumentation, prosecutors supply the most detailed version of their case against him so far. And they explain why it is that they needed to raid his office - because they don't trust him to turn over evidence. According to an FBI agent's affidavit appended to the filing, Jefferson tried to "surreptitiously remove" documents while the FBI was searching his home in August of last year.
The agent provides a detailed narrative of catching Jefferson trying to hide the document. According to her, Jefferson, while sitting at his kitchen table during the search, hid the papers under a copy of the subpoena that agents had served on him. He then asked to move to the living room after it had been searched and placed the documents in a blue bag there which agents had already been through. She continues:
After several minutes, I approached Congressman Jefferson and told him that I needed to look at the documents that he had placed into the bag. Congressman Jefferson told me the documents were subpoenas. I then reiterated my request to review the documents. In response, Congressman Jefferson removed the documents from the bag and placed the subpoena on top of the other documents before allowing me to review them. Located beneath the subpoena were the documents I previously observed Congressman Jefferson with at the kitchen table. I reviewed the documents and observed that they had been faxed to Congressman Jefferson from an individual named B.K. Son on August 3, 2005 (the same day the search was executed). Noting that the warrant called for, among other things, all communications between Congressman Jefferson and Mr. Son, I collected the documents and turned them into the search team leader as evidence.
It is my belief that when Congressman Jefferson placed documents into the blue bag, he was attempting to conceal documents that were relevant to the investigation....
We will see if people on both sides of the aisle are truly interested in cleaning out corruption or do we have to put up with Democrat apologists again? Here is a guy that was apparently involved in some actually serious crimes. Do people care or are they more interested in executing politicians for the nebulous and very difficult to prove "possible" quid pro quo cases with Abramoff and others? Example: Harry Reed "researching" boxing with free $1,400 fight tickets.
I thought that only the Republicans were corrupt!!!
This must be a setup.
okie wrote:We will see if people on both sides of the aisle are truly interested in cleaning out corruption or do we have to put up with Democrat apologists again? Here is a guy that was apparently involved in some actually serious crimes. Do people care or are they more interested in executing politicians for the nebulous and very difficult to prove "possible" quid pro quo cases with Abramoff and others? Example: Harry Reed "researching" boxing with free $1,400 fight tickets.
Just in case no one saw it, I want to go again on the record as saying I'd like to line this guy Jefferson up right beside "the Hammer" Delay and shoot 'em both. Dirty lowdown crooks. I despise all the slimy dirtbags who get paid handsomely to look and sound important, get bennies out the yimyang, and still have the gall to steal money on top of all that. "Public Servants", indeed.
Quote:I thought that only the Republicans were corrupt!!!
Far more Republicans than Democrats.
xingu wrote:Quote:I thought that only the Republicans were corrupt!!!
Far more Republicans than Democrats.
That's how they got all that money.
snood wrote:
Just in case no one saw it, I want to go again on the record as saying I'd like to line this guy Jefferson up right beside "the Hammer" Delay and shoot 'em both. Dirty lowdown crooks. I despise all the slimy dirtbags who get paid handsomely to look and sound important, get bennies out the yimyang, and still have the gall to steal money on top of all that. "Public Servants", indeed.
Jefferson makes DeLay look like Mother Teresa. And if you line up DeLay, do you also line up Harry Reid for his $1,400 near the ring boxing tickets so he could "research" the fights?
okie wrote:snood wrote:
Just in case no one saw it, I want to go again on the record as saying I'd like to line this guy Jefferson up right beside "the Hammer" Delay and shoot 'em both. Dirty lowdown crooks. I despise all the slimy dirtbags who get paid handsomely to look and sound important, get bennies out the yimyang, and still have the gall to steal money on top of all that. "Public Servants", indeed.
Jefferson makes DeLay look like Mother Teresa. And if you line up DeLay, do you also line up Harry Reid for his $1,400 near the ring boxing tickets so he could "research" the fights?
okie- you certainly do not want to trot out your whole list of corrupt democrats, and compare them with my list of republicans, do you? If you think the list of dems is longer, you haven't been paying attention. If you
don't think more Democrats are corrupt, why not take my statement how I meant it - I'd like to shoot
all the corrupt pols.
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