FBI searches 2 homes of La. congressman
Probe ongoing, authorities say
By Allan Lengel, Washington Post  |  August 4, 2005

WASHINGTON -- FBI agents raided the Washington and New Orleans homes of Representative William Jefferson yesterday as part of an ongoing public corruption probe, law enforcement authorities said.

Agents conducted early-morning raids at the homes of the Democrat from Louisiana in the 1300 block of F Street in Northeast Washington and in the 1900 block of Marengo Street in New Orleans, authorities said. His car on Capitol Hill was also searched.

''There were search warrants executed today in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation," said Bryan Sierra, a Justice Department spokesman. ''Since the investigation is ongoing, we would not be in a position to comment any further."

Sources familiar with the probe, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case, said investigators were looking to see whether Jefferson benefited financially from his business dealings.

In 1990, Jefferson, 58, became the first African-American to be elected to Congress from Louisiana since Reconstruction. The eight-term congressman is a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee and its trade subcommittee.

In a statement issued through his press secretary last night, Jefferson said: ''Today federal law enforcement officers executed search warrants on my New Orleans home and Washington, D.C., home as well as my vehicle in Washington. A subpoena was issued to my office. I do not know the extent or the precise nature of this investigation, but I am cooperating fully with authorities."

A source familiar with the case said the investigation had no connection to the inquiry into Jefferson's brother-in-law, Alan Green, a former state judge.

Green was convicted recently of mail fraud in a bail bond corruption case in suburban New Orleans. He was the 14th person convicted in that case, and he was accused of taking $20,000 in cash, rounds of golf, and meals from a bail bondsman.

In May, the US Attorney's Office in New Orleans unsealed documents in that case that included a recorded conversation in which Jefferson asked Green to raise money for the congressman's daughter, who was running for the Legislature in 2003. The records show that Green agreed to help.


www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/08/04/fbi_searches_2_homes_of_la_congressman/

A corrupt Democrap from Louisiana...........  HOLY HUEY P. LONG, BATMAN!!!  NO WAY ! SAY IT AIN'T SO

THIS ONE HAS BEEN SKIRTING THE LAW IN A VERY SAFE DISTRICT FOR YEARS JUST A MATTER OF TIME TIL Rep Jefferson GOT BUSTED

It seems that most of the Louisiana political class retires to federal prison.

I was born and raised in Louisiana and I can tell you that this has been coming for some time.  He falls into the same class of corrupt black Democratic Louisiana politian as Marc Morial, Cleo Fields, and Eddie Jordan.  

Yeah and they say crime doesn't pay.

Quoted: I was born and raised in Louisiana and I can tell you that this has been coming for some time.  He falls into the same class of corrupt black Democratic Louisiana politian as Marc Morial, Cleo Fields, and Eddie Jordan.

For those unfamiliar wtih these names...

Marc Morial: our incredibly corrupt former mayor.  The feds are taking down all his buddies one by one, and it's assumed that they'll eventually get to him.  One example of what he did (probably not the worst thing, but just what pops in my mind at this moment)... he conveniently "forgot" that the health insurance contract for city workers was about to expire until there was not enough time to go through the proper process of taking bids from various companies for a new contract, and simply awarded the contract to his aunt's company.  When questioned about it afterwards, he said "well, just for the record, she's not my aunt... she's my uncle's wife" or something like that.

Cleo Fields: a state senator (former, I think).  Don't know a whole lot about him aside from the fact that he's been implicated in a number of corruption scandals.  If I'm not mistaken, he was one of the people pushing hard for a NASCAR track to be built (using public funds) in New Orleans East, on a plot of land that was conveniently owned by... him!  He was caught on videotape taking a big fat envelope of cash from now-convicted ex-gov. Edwin Edwards (the godfather of LA corrupt politics), but managed to escape prosecution.

Eddie Jordan: the man who put Edwin Edwards behind bars.  But he's just as well known for his blatantly racist actions upon being elected to his current job as New Orleans District Attorney... he was the guy who fired all the white people in the office and replaced them with black people.  He was subsequently found guilty of racial discrimination for these actions.

--Mike