On May 12, 2005, over dinner with business partner and FBI informant Lori Mody, Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) furtively scrawled the letter "c" on a sheet of paper, and next to it wrote some numbers indicating that he was demanding a much larger personal stake in an African business deal than previously agreed to.
"The 'c' is like for 'children,' " the congressman told Mody, as an FBI tape recorder rolled. "I make a deal for my children. It wouldn't be for me."
As court records, sworn affidavits, plea agreements and search warrants attest, it was quite a deal, one of several involving at least seven business entities, nearly a dozen family members and hundreds of thousands of dollars sloshing through bank accounts, all for Jefferson's personal benefit.
An FBI raid on Jefferson's congressional office last month triggered a constitutional showdown between the White House and congressional leaders from both parties over separation of powers. But as that controversy subsides, the focus has shifted back to Jefferson and the corporate labyrinth that federal authorities say he erected to secretly receive illegal payments for promoting high-tech ventures in Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria. ... more
Rep. Jefferson Investigation
- Congressman Tried to Hide Papers, Justice Dept. Says
- Senate Leaders Profess Less Outrage on FBI Raid
- Raid Was Tipping Point For an Angry Congress
- A Defiant Stance In Jefferson Probe
- Bush Seals Files Seized In FBI Probe Of Jefferson
Jefferson Family Inc.
Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) and his family formed corporate entities that the FBI says were used to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal payments to Jefferson from the owner of iGate Inc.; Lori Mody, a businesswoman and iGate investor; and African business partners. Some of the companies allegedly were created to hide Jefferson's business interest. Jefferson denies wrongdoing.
As I said in the headline, why is this man still in Congress? Aside from his illegal activities, he appears to be just plain dumb! Of course, it may be that he was so used to the way politics is conducted in Louisiana, he got confused. I'm waiting for the ultimate excuse ... it is all Bush's fault.
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