Breaking: Indicted Jefferson To Drop His Only Committee Seat
Breaking: Indicted Jefferson To Drop His Only Committee Seat
A Democratic congressional aide tells ThinkProgress that Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) has informed Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) by letter that he is “temporarily” stepping down from his only committee assignment, on the Small Business Committee, until his legal matter is resolved. It’s not clear whether he was pressured to voluntarily give up his seat.
Yesterday, Jefferson was indicted on 16 charges, including racketeering, solicitation of bribes, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, violating the foreign corrupt practices act, and conspiracy.
Jefferson, whose case includes FBI video tape of him allegedly accepting a cash bribe, $90,000 of which federal authorities was later found in a freezer in his home, is facing increasing pressure to give up his seat. Yesterday, Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI) issued a statement calling on him to “consider resigning for the good of Congress and for the good of the nation.”
UPDATE: Politico’s John Bresnahan has more. “Democrats are also expecting the House ethics committee to announce that it is beginning an investigation into Jefferson’s case, said the leadership aides.”
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He needs to resign his Congressional seat.
June 5th, 2007 at 11:58 amJefferson must cut the crap and resign from the House before he harms the Black Caucus.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:00 pmYou will have a far more kinder remembrance in history, Mr. Jefferson, if you set a new standard for culpability to the citizens you are a servant to.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:02 pmDon't go down the Delay Road.
I'm tough on Repukes but I'm murder on corrupt Dems.
When a Dem is corrupt, it weakens our moral authority over Repukes.
Jefferson should resign his seat in Congress immediately.
For the good of the party. For the good of the country.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:03 pmThere is no clearer indication that the Democrats and Republicans are not alike. Jefferson is being pressured by his colleagues to resign as a member of the House. Delay's colleagues tried to change rules midstream to allow him to keep his powerful leadership position.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:04 pm30 months for Scooter! Enjoy it, pal.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:04 pmSee, Republicans? THIS is how a responsible party behaves.
No whining about "partisan prosecutors." No floor speeches about "the criminalization of politics," as if it was the response to politicians' crimes that harmed the political process, rather than the crimes themselves.
Nope, Congressman gets indicted, Congressman steps down from his committee seats and leadership positions.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:04 pmHe should resign, period.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:04 pmI think that the Democrats must show sero tolerance for this kind of thing. If an elected official cannot live on the salary, they don't belong in Congress.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:05 pmThe Black Caucus is already in trouble.
They're in bed with FOX News. Idiots.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:06 pmJay Randal,
Unfortunately Jay, the CBC has hurt itself by showing support for this guy and by showing a willingness to take part in debates with fox news. The CBC needs to throw this guy under the bus. If he is found innocent of the charges, that will make for a great election campaign if he chooses to run for the seat again.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:07 pmShow us your honor, Rep Jefferson, and tender your resignation from congress.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:08 pmAfter Hurricane Katrina, Rep. Jefferson had National Guard troops take him by boat to his house in New Orleans as people were drowning. Some speculate he needed to get the $90,000 out of his freezer. He should have resigned from the House last year, but he must do it now.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:11 pmThis shows the hypocrisy of Democrats. It wasn't explained to me exactly HOW it shows that, but it does.
This proves that the "Culture of Corruption" is bipartisan.
William Jefferson looks like John Conyers. Therefore John Conyers is also corrupt. I inferred this from Fox News.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:11 pmSure "harm the black caucus" not the rest of the house not the people in LA, not the rest of the country, but harm the foolsh CBC. What a joke.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:12 pmOoopsie... 16 indictments? Hmmm, this probably isn't an accident (16...).
Me'thinks Mr. Jefferson should resign BEFORE going to jail.
I'm no fonder of corrupt Dems than I am of corrupt GOPers. Slime is slime and needs to go. regardless of political affiliation.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:12 pmIf I remember correctly, even that scumbag prison bitch Libby stepped down when indicted.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:12 pmCrump > the Black Caucus was quick to throw Rep. Cynthia McKinney under the bus for mildly punching a guard cop in DC, so they must throw Rep. William Jefferson out on his head pronto.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:13 pmI just emailed Jefferson and told him to resign.
I bet his office is getting flooded with calls and letters.
The FBI has a solid case against him. He's going down.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:14 pmThis shows the hypocrisy of Democrats. It wasn’t explained to me exactly HOW it shows that, but it does.
Typical troll thinking... I don't know how, but I know.. that I don't know how... BUT don't you question me, because I know... that I don't know... what it is I'm supposed to know, but I know it... (kind of explains why BuschCo is imploding at an incredible rate right before our eyes...)
June 5th, 2007 at 12:15 pmGood - I hope he was pressured - corrupt is corrupt - party, race, gender don't matter - promising to do the work of the people and then selling them out should be seriously punished.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:18 pmYou will have a far more kinder remembrance in history, Mr. Jefferson, if you set a new standard for culpability to the citizens you are a servant to.
Don’t go down the Delay Road.
Comment by heyzeus
That's SO much better than my "Resign f*ckwit!"
Well said, heyzeus. :-)
June 5th, 2007 at 12:21 pmSo is FOX network still showing Rep. Conyers as Jefferson on their newscasts?
June 5th, 2007 at 12:26 pmDemoncrats corrupt OMG? No way they are morally superior right?
TP needs to start investigating Demoncrats and quit showing the bias when reporting.
Stop the twistoidal tabloid headlines.
TP is like the National Enquirer which people read while in the crapper.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:30 pmFlaco > go take a dump before you soil your Depends > lol.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:33 pmThe indictment is 94 pages. If convicted on all charges Jefferson would be sentenced to 235 years in prison.
Cool 235 years is not that long. With good behaviour he can get out in 200 years.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:34 pm"$90,000 of which federal authorities was later found in a freezer in his home"
Please proof your copy.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:35 pmTP is like the National Enquirer which people read while in the crapper.
Comment by Flaccid — June 5, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
You bring your laptop with you while "dropping a deuce"?
that's just weird. but with statements like this:
June 5th, 2007 at 12:36 pmTP needs to start investigating Demoncrats and quit showing the bias when reporting.
it becomes apparent you do type while on the john
Sorry. Sux to be you
thanks Zooey...
June 5th, 2007 at 12:37 pm(we both have shining moments, as well as brief glimmers....:)
After Hurricane Katrina, Rep. Jefferson had National Guard troops take him by boat to his house in New Orleans as people were drowning. Some speculate he needed to get the $90,000 out of his freezer. He should have resigned from the House last year, but he must do it now.
Comment by Jay Randal — June 5, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
The $90G was found in his WDC home, weeks before the storm.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/21/jefferson.search/index.html
June 5th, 2007 at 12:41 pmBienville > then why did Jefferson go to his home in New Orleans? You better not defend him on here or your reputation goes down the sewer.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:45 pmcold cash dem o crats lol
June 5th, 2007 at 12:45 pmTP,
Why do you have a picture on John Conyers on this thread?
*snort*
June 5th, 2007 at 12:48 pmWilliams "Cold Cash" Jefferson.
Demoncrat's integrity
Oxymoron
June 5th, 2007 at 12:49 pmI'm not defending him. I'm just correcting the your wrong information.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:50 pmFlaco "the flatulent" Troll
June 5th, 2007 at 12:52 pmNeoCon's insanity
Oxycotin-moron
Flaco,
Just because a Democrat may have committed these crimes, doesn't make a Democratic problem. I think the score of late still has the Repubs winning the corruption battle.
I have already said several times on the threads regarding Jefferson that he needs to resign. Nearly all of the regular posters on here have agreed. Did you do the same when Ney, Cunningham, or DeLay were indicted?
June 5th, 2007 at 12:52 pmStop the twistoidal tabloid headlines.
TP is like the National Enquirer which people read while in the crapper.
Comment by Flaco
Uh, Flaco (that is your REAL name, correct?), TP stands for THINK Progress, which is a process I suggest you check out (thinking) when you're not "busy" doing whatever you do in "the crapper".
TP did put news of Jefferson's indictment right at the top of the page, so to speak. If that's not covering the news, I don't know what it would be.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:54 pmJefferson was hungry, he had to get to his freezer in New Orleans, 'cause that was the one with the food in it.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:55 pmBienville in my post 13 > I said some speculated he went to his home in New Orleans to get the $90,000 cash. I did NOT claim it as fact. It was never clear in the press when the FBI raided his house to find the cash in the freezer. Before Katrina or afterwards? Nonetheless he must resign.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:56 pmComment by Zooey — June 5, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
That's not Conyers, it's really "Dollar Bill" Jefferson.
You must be talking about this:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/06/05/do-all-black-people-look-the-same-to-fox-news/
June 5th, 2007 at 12:59 pmPlus nobody knows what Jefferson did with other $10,000 Cash, since the original bribe was $100,000 not $90,000.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:00 pmComment by Flaco — June 5, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
How do you figure?
Bob Ney
Duke Cunningham
Tom Delay
Jack Abramoff
to name just a few. There are DOZENS more. Name five democrats in the past 2 years who have been indicted/convicted of corruption.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:03 pm16 indictments? from just one Demoncrat?
Demoncrats go for the whole enchilada...
June 5th, 2007 at 1:04 pm#40 Jay
No need to speculate when the facts are available.
"Dollar Bill" Jefferson needs to resign for the good of his constituents, who reelected him knowing that he would be thrown out, giving them an opportunity to choose someone who would really represent them.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:05 pmComment by Jay Randal — June 5, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
OK. Please forgive me.
I wasn't correcting you. I was correcting the wrong information that "some people" (none of whom are Jay Randal) are spreading. Happy now?
June 5th, 2007 at 1:07 pmLOL Bienville. His indictment just happened to counter Libby being sentenced anyways. I wrote faxes to members of the Black Caucus before the 2006 November election to dump him. By not doing so earlier it might damage the caucus. Rep. Pelosi would be wise to call for Jefferson to resign from the House immediately.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:12 pmThat’s not Conyers, it’s really “Dollar Bill†Jefferson.
Comment by Bienville
I know. I was making a joke about the Fox idiocy.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:15 pmComment by Zooey — June 5, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
I thought not. I took the opportunity to post the C&L link.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:21 pmSure, just give him the Speakership and a bag of 'Tootsie Rolls. '
June 5th, 2007 at 1:31 pmSure, just give him the Speakership and a bag of ‘Tootsie Rolls. ‘
Comment by CompTROLLER V-1
What are you babbling about now?
June 5th, 2007 at 1:32 pm"Sure, just give him the Speakership and a bag of ‘Tootsie Rolls. ‘"
That raises an interesting question, troll. Did you ever experience even a moment of shame when your party re-elected an indicted felon to be House Speaker?
June 5th, 2007 at 1:37 pmComment by Zoeey
What the hell are you talking about?
June 5th, 2007 at 1:55 pmComment by joe
This is a 16-count indictment. I don't see how you could be defending this. Again, this is like several of these Tom DeLay's you denounce so much, packed into one. I know you couldn't be advocating him staying in the U.S. House or Representatives, made to represent the people.
For the record, I don't excuse Republican crime. I simply have an overrall difference of opinion of sentencing between violent and non-violent crimes in the Justice system.
Libetroll all you want. Jefferson needs to get the hell out immediately. Republican "hypocrisy" doesn't add up to his 16-count indictment, it's not an excuse for him to remain employed by the Government.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:02 pmWhat took so long to indict this scumbag?? Is he really a democrat?? This looks like some crap they would pull. He'll be in a cell next to "big Duke".
June 5th, 2007 at 2:21 pmI looked in vain for an apology from Jake, who was demanding that Jefferson be thrown out of the Homeland committee. Which, clearly, Jefferson wasn't actually on.
Jake?
Interesting to note that CompTROLLER V-1 just said "for the record". Hmmm, where have I seen that construct before?
June 5th, 2007 at 2:26 pmInteresting to note that CompTROLLER V-1 just said “for the recordâ€. Hmmm, where have I seen that construct before?
Comment by gummitch — June 5, 2007 @ 2:26 pm
Nice catch, gummitch. That's pretty much a dead giveaway. I'd wondered where Jake was for so long.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:31 pm"For the Record"
Yes, because most of the human populace hasn't uttered that one before, so it must be Jake.
For all I know, gummitch and KRank could be members members of the Manson family.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:39 pmI still say we should have played by Republican rules and given Jefferson the Medal of Honor. Or an ambassadorship.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:40 pmFor all I know, gummitch and KRank could be members members of the Manson family.
Comment by CompTROLLER V-1 — June 5, 2007 @ 2:39 pm
That's a strong argument there. Hard to refute. Of course, what makes it doubly hard to refute is your demonstrated disregard for logical thought porocesses. So, yes, judging by the wayward movements of your mind as revealed in your posts, it is absolutely possible that you could have decided such a relationship exists, despite any evidence to the contrary.
"Let's see... gummitch and KRank... both said unflattering things about me... they must be evil... the Manson family is evil... ergo, they must be members of the Manson family."
All that mental work must have exhausted you. Take the rest of the day off.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:46 pm“Let’s see… gummitch and KRank… both said unflattering things about me… they must be evil… the Manson family is evil… ergo, they must be members of the Manson family.â€
All that mental work must have exhausted you. Take the rest of the day off.
Comment by KRank
For the record (heh), I could not possibly be a member of the Manson Family because I would have fallen down to worship Sharon Tate. I would never have harmed a hair on her, er, head.
And, besides, I just made a rude remark to KRank on another comment thread.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:55 pmSo, I must be Jake then?
Kid, you've got to stop fooling yourself. I wasn't even talking to you first.
Put your head on correctly.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:58 pmTom3 notes "When a Dem is corrupt, it weakens our moral authority over Repukes."
Tom, Dems have no moral authority over Repubs. The instrinsically evil moral relativism of the Left disintegrated any "morality" Dems might have had..... In fact, putting "Dem" and "moral authority" in the same sentence is an oxymoron....
June 5th, 2007 at 3:18 pmWhat a difference a new Congress makes? The OLD CONGRESS WENT INTO HIBERNATION rather than investigate Mr. Tom DeLay.
June 5th, 2007 at 3:20 pmJefferson ought to resign immediately. It will help the Congress, his party, the CBC and his own position with respect to sentencing or running for re-election if acquitted.
The trolls seem to see this as evidence that there is an equal culture of corruption and that the Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans. Repugs: put that to rest. You are nothing more than morrally corrupt idiots who attempt to justify your own lack of ethics, morality and adherence to the law by a shoddy argument of moral equivalency:
1. The Republicans have consistently argued that their members are hounded by the government through tactics that criminalize politics:
a. Let's see. The Repuglicans control the Justice Department. There has been an admission that politcs was used (Goodling) as a qualifying factor for hiring DOJ career officials.
b. There is substantial circumstantial evidence that US Attorneys were discharged for failing to prosecute voter fraud cases. Indeed, the federal government's prosecution of state and local government officials for fraud has run about 80% Democratic officials versus 15% Republican officials.
c. However, the number of Republican operatives, administration officials, Congressional staffers and Congressional members pales by comparison to the Clinton years. Ineteresting, the Repuglicans sent over a thousand subpoenas to the White House. (Note that these were responded to versus the Bush refusal - evidence of guilty mind) The Repuglicans utilized the special counsel law and spent millions upon millions of dollars to pursue Bill on White Water, Travel Gate, Vince Foster and such to come up with one minor charge of purjury. (Related not to a crime involving the government but a deposition in a civil case which the Repug special counsel brought before a Federal Grand Jury)
d. One can only conclude that the Republicans are the culture of corruption. Democrats are not pure, however, the level of corruption is extremely low in comparision. Note how much more corruption probably exists given the politization of the DOJ under the Repuglican crimininal syndicate. It is also weighty evidence of GOP disdain for the law.
2. The Republicans utilize the failing of few Democratic officials to justify wholesale corruption on their part. Note the constant refrain that one Congressman and his aides equal the vast number of Republicans involved in corruption. This has been a repeated practice of the Repuglicans because they are basically amoral.
3. The Repuglicans consistently attempt to defend, enble or cover up the criminal activities of their members.
a. Note that Tom Delay was admonished for unethical acitivities resulting in the removal of the Repuglican Chairman and emplacement of a Delay drone. The ethics committee was then gutted. Dely indicted, change the rules to allow an indicted felon to retain the highest postion in the body.
b. Foley going after pages. Need we say more.
c. Libby, Gozales ---- Oh God, why even go on.
3. The Republicans continually act as criminals act when under attack. They go by the strictest interpretation of the law, confuse criminal and moral precepts (always a good way to encourage people to step close to the line with many going over it.
a. Bush sets a high moral tone against the alleged corruption of the Clinton era. Bush states that it is not the letter but the spirit and intent of the law that will be the Republican standard.
b. The Republican administration resets the bar. "We did not break the law" in the Plame case, Delay shenanigans and so forth.
c. The Repuglicans attack any comment or the call for any action until there has been a criminal indictment and conviction. (An exception for the President and others lying to exonerate Repuglicans under investigation.)
June 5th, 2007 at 3:54 pm# 63 said,
Tom, Dems have no moral authority over Repubs. The instrinsically evil moral relativism of the Left disintegrated any “morality†Dems might have had….. In fact, putting “Dem†and “moral authority†in the same sentence is an oxymoron….
Comment by valiant venus — June 5, 2007 @ 3:18
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One of the early things you notice about Republicans is that too many Republicans seem to behave as if nothing or no one has legal or moral authority over their behavior. It is quite like operating out of the box where one is not constrained by ethics, law, common sense or the like.
And to make matters worse, the Bush team and its news sources tried to persuade America that the Bush team's behavior was "normal".
Mr. Bush, according to a federal judge, acted outside his authority in the Guantanamo Affair. Multiple main stream newspaper columnists claimed that may help Mr. Bush at the polls. That's like saying "breaking the law" should help Mr. Bush at the polls.
Of course the American electorate, in late 2006, showed that it was not fooled by the right wing columnists. The American electorate showed once again that you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
June 5th, 2007 at 3:57 pmHow in the hell did this man get re-elected in the first place? He is a stain on American politics.
June 5th, 2007 at 4:10 pm# 67,
Hopefully you are not just waking up to corruption. The Republicans have a lock on corruption and have had it since 2004 with the DeLay Affair.
And if you did not express strong feelings against the DeLay Affair or the Valerie Plame Affair then you must only "rail" against corruption by a certain "ILK".
June 5th, 2007 at 5:09 pmIn fact, putting “Dem†and “moral authority†in the same sentence is an oxymoron….
Comment by valiant venus — June 5, 2007 @ 3:18 pm
Putting two things in the same sentence together does not an oxymoron make.
For instance:
moral Republican = Oxymoron
Republicans are not moral. = Not an oxymoron
Just sayin'...
June 5th, 2007 at 5:16 pmPelosi is vetoed again by the CBC. Figures!
June 5th, 2007 at 6:20 pm