Political Crossfire Forums

[John Galt]

Jefferson accused of accepting nearly half a million in bribes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Democratic lawmaker under investigation in a bribery scandal said on Wednesday he would not comply with his party leader's request to resign his position on an influential tax-writing committee.

Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson rejected a request by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to step down from the Ways and Means Committee while the Justice Department investigates whether he took more than $400,000 in bribes to promote Internet technology in west Africa.

"I will not give up a committee assignment that is so vital to New Orleans at this crucial time for any uncertain political strategy," Jefferson said in a letter to Pelosi.


Jefferson said his committee post enabled him to secure funds for his New Orleans-based district after it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina last year.

The intraparty spat poses problems for Democrats, who have made Republican corruption scandals a central theme of their campaign to take back control of Congress in the November elections.

Pelosi, of California, in a letter released earlier on Wednesday, asked Jefferson to resign from the committee "in the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus."

Jefferson cannot be forcibly removed from the committee without a vote of the full House, according to a Pelosi aide. Pelosi has not yet determined whether that will be necessary, said spokeswoman Jennifer Crider.

The investigation of Jefferson has been public since last August, when the FBI raided his homes in Washington and New Orleans. Two former associates have pleaded guilty to bribery charges.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-05-24T182322Z_01_N24310956_RTRUKOC_0_US-CONGRESS-JEFFERSON.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

[Green]

It is not just Republicans that take bribes; independents, liberals, moderates, and Democrats do so also. Washington DC is bribe capitol USA. Somthing must be going right because bribe taking officials are getting caught. This will probably go in a direction similar to Tom Delay, with lots of expensive lawyers, weeks of court testimony and stuff, and the usuall overly extensive media coverage. :just:

[Dookiestix]

Why all the outrage now when it's a Democratic lawmaker? Anybody miss the defense for Jefferson coming from Republicans?

This goes to the heart of corruption in Washington, be it Democrat or Republican. How sad that we don't see more breaking news of Republicans being investigated (Dennis Hastert being the latest).

This should be a bi-partisan issue. Both parties are corrupt. Where's the rightwing outrage at the Republican party? I seem to have missed it.

Anyone? Anyone?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/federal_officia.html

[gaiadman]

This is just further proof that the system has flaws to be worked out.
Perhaps doing away with lobbyists, implement term limits, and VOTER PARTICIPATION, reduce states dependencies upon the federal government.

[Wayne L.]

He should be tried & sent to jail if the charges are true because politicians from both political parties aren't above the law. William Jefferson shouldn't get any special treatment from the law or the media because he's black as well.

[Gnostic]

What I want to know is why these guys spend so much time on foreign matters (west african internet here) that don't relate to America one iota, except of course unless some American corporation has a vested interest in said foreign country.

[Donkeykick]

Dookiestix wrote: Why all the outrage now when it's a Democratic lawmaker? Anybody miss the defense for Jefferson coming from Republicans? Want to know why this is happening? The republicans want the democrats to solve this thing constitutionally; when they are successful, they will also protect those republican lawmakers that dealt with Abramoff. :think:

[Revenant]

Anyone else think this guy looks like a child molester?

[The Devil Inside]

didnt the dems remove him already?