Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering in a long-running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.
The indictment handed up in federal court in Alexandria., Va., Monday is 94 pages long and lists 16 alleged violations of federal law that could keep Jefferson in prison for up to 235 years. This is the guy who used a rescue helicopter to retrieve personal items from his hurricane damaged home in New Orleans while conducting a fly-over of his district, Then Federal investigators raided his home and found $ 90,000.00 in cash in his freezer, this guy is truly a piece of work, He makes George Ryan look like a shoplifter!!!
I missed this post when I posted about it earlier. I went off on a rant about how Democrats who had kicked him off the Ways and Means Committee for this tried to put him on the Homeland Security Committee immediately after the election. "Culture of Corruption" hypocrisy: http://www.illinipundit.com/2007/06/04/new-boss-same-old-boss
The misuse of rescue equipment while people were dying was pretty dern vulgar also. This guy is scum.
--
Glock21 Op/Ed
Yes Glock I read your post, This Jefferson is typical of the "We are here from the Government and we're to help you " after they help themselves. You are right as to this is not just a Democrat problem, The republicans are no saints either. It is no secret these politicians spend millions of dollars on a campaign for a job that only pays around $160000.00 a year, then spend the next 4 years skimming and stealing every dime they get their hands on. When they get caught they cry like school girls on TV, then are sent off to some Federal Country Club of a jail for 4 or 5 years of golf and living it up, then the book deals for a few more mil. god knows Illinois has had more than it's share of this trash! Maybe Jefferson and George Ryan can share the same cell!!!
I just saw Jefferson's lawyer on WGN 9 o'clock news and you guessed it , Robert Trout says "This is a conspiracy" my god does that sound familiar?? Jefferson comes from the State that practically invented corruption, Does anyone know who Huey Long or Huey's brother Earl was? The real sorry ones are the voters that have elected this scumbag to 8 terms in Congress.
"The real sorry ones are the voters that have elected this scumbag..." Does this remind you of some people who voted for Ryan?
"Jefferson comes from the State that practically invented corruption" This state might be a close second behind the 'petri dish' of political corruption.
Yes Local Voter you are right! BOTH parties have become filled with this kind of politician, They make the Law's, they think they are above them, It's too bad George Ryan is out pending appeal, He should be locked up and I'm also glad that his pension is being suspended, He claims he has no money! What happened to all the kick backs and bribe money he had?? Guy's like Jefferson and Ryan used to disappear in shame! Now they walk around like rock stars!