William Jefferson

William Jennings Jefferson (born March 14, 1947), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1991, representing the 2nd District of Louisiana, which includes much of the Greater New Orleans area (map) Image File history File links William_Jefferson,_official_photo. ... Image File history File links William_Jefferson,_official_photo. ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in Leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq. ... The New Orleans Metropolitan Area, or Greater New Orleans, is the largest metropolitan area in Louisiana, centered around New Orleans. ...

On July 30, 2005, he was caught on video tape by the FBI accepting a $100,000 dollar bribe in $100 dollar bills in a leather briefcase at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Arlington. [1]

On May 15, 2006, Jefferson called a press conference at which he announced that he did not intend to resign despite expecting to be indicted on corruption charges[2].

Early life and career

Jefferson was born in Lake Providence, a small town in northeastern Louisiana, the son of a heavy-equipment operator for the Army Corps of Engineers. He received a bachelor's degree from Southern University, where in 1969 he led a protest against substandard campus facilities and negotiated with then-Governor John McKeithen. He later earned a law degree from Harvard University. After graduation, he became a law clerk for District Judge Alvin B. Rubin, legislative assistant to Senator J. Bennett Johnston, and a lawyer. He moved to New Orleans in 1976 and was elected as a member of the Louisiana Senate in 1980. He twice unsuccessfully ran for Mayor of New Orleans, first challenging Ernest N. Morial in 1982, and then being defeated by Sidney Barthelemy in a run off in 1986. He was the Democratic nominee in the gubernatorial election of 1999, but he lost to the incumbent, Murphy J. Foster, Jr.. He is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. The town of Lake Providence is the parish seat of East Carroll Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. ... United States Army Corps of Engineers logo The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 military men and women. ... Southern University and A&M College is a historically black university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ... John McKeithen, a Democrat from the tiny town of Columbia in Caldwell Parish in northeastern Louisiana, was the first governor of his state to serve two consecutive terms. ... Harvard University campus (old map) Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... John Bennett Johnston, Jr. ... The post of Mayor of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana has been held by the following individuals: Etienne de Boré 1803-04 James Pitot 1804-05 John Watkins 1805-07 James Mather 1807-12 Charles Trudeau 1812 Nicholas Girod 1812 LeBreton Dorgenois 1812 Nicholas Girod 1812-15 Augustin Macarty... Ernest Nathan Morial (known as Dutch) (1929 - 1989) was a U.S. political figure. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sidney John Barthelemy was elected Mayor of New Orleans in May, 1986. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 1999 resulted in the re-election of Mike Foster to his second term as governor of Louisiana. ... Former Gov. ... The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing African American members of the Congress of the United States. ...

Accusations of misconduct

On August 3, 2005, federal agents executed search warrants against Jefferson's homes, car, and offices as part of an undisclosed investigation. On May 20, 2006, FBI agents searched the congressman's office in the Rayburn Office Building on Capitol Hill. [3] According to the Washington Post, Jefferson is believed to have taken up to $100,000 to be used to bribe Atiku Abubakar, the Vice-President of Nigeria, in order to promote the internet technology of iGate, Inc.[4] August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Rayburn House Office Building (RHOB), named after former Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, is located between South Capitol Street and First Street in Southwest Washington, D.C. The newest of three U.S. House of Representatives office buildings, the Rayburn House Office Building was completed in early 1965... Capitol Hill is the name of a district in the following cities: Capitol Hill, Denver, Colorado Capitol Hill, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington Capitol Hill, Washington, DC It is also a common nickname for the United States Congress and the politicians who serve it (e. ... ... Bribery is the practice of offering a professional money or other favours in order to circumvent ethics in a variety of professions. ... Atiku Abubakar (born 25 November 1946) has been vice-president of Nigeria since 1999. ... VP also stands for Verb phrase. ...

ABC News reported on Jefferson's apparent misuse of National Guard resources to check on his personal belongings and property at the height of the Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts. According to a military source, Jefferson delayed two heavy trucks, a helicopter and several National Guard members for over an hour while he went back into his house to retrieve "a laptop computer, three suitcases and a box about the size of a small refrigerator". [5] ABC News is a division of the American Broadcasting Company television and radio networks (ABC). ... It has been suggested that National Guard Bureau be merged into this article or section. ... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa) Damages $75 billion (2005 USD) (costliest Atlantic hurricane in history) Fatalities ≥1,605 Areas affected Bahamas, South Florida, Cuba, Louisiana (especially Greater New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle, most of eastern North America Part of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Katrina was the costliest...

In September, 2005, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Jefferson one of the thirteen most corrupt members of Congress. [6] Look up September in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Template:Diffgggtgerent calendars 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a Washington, DC-based organization dedicated to fighting corruption by government officials by means of creative litigation. ...

In addition to personal corruption, Jefferson faces a threat from the demographic fallout from Katrina: some post-Katrina analyses indicate that the political fallout from Katrina may lead to an unseating of incumbents generally [7], and for demographic reasons, Democratic incumbents in particular.

Legal prosecution of associates

In January 2006, Brett M. Pfeffer, a former aide for Mr. Jefferson, implicated him in a corruption scheme involving an Internet company being set up in Nigeria. Mr. Pfeffer was President of an investment company in McLean, Virginia. In return for political support for the deal, Mr. Jefferson had legal work directed toward his family's operations. It was also said that a daughter of his was put on retainer of the Virginia investment company to the tune of $5,000 a month. Mr. Jefferson also is said to have arranged for his family a 5% to 7% ownership stake in the Nigerian Internet company.

Mr. Pfeffer pled guilty to charges of aiding and abetting bribery of a public official and conspiracy on January 11, 2006 in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia.

On May 3, 2006 Vernon Jackson, 53, CEO of Louisville, Kentucky based iGate Inc., admitted to bribery of a public official and conspiracy to bribe a public official during a plea hearing in U.S. District Court. According to the Associated Press, "court documents make clear that Jefferson is the accused congressman, without naming him."[8] Jackson's plea bargain requires his cooperation in the ongoing investigation against the congressman he admits bribing. The total amount of the bribes is between $400,000 and $1 million, according to court documents of the Jackson proceeding. May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... Louisville redirects here; for other uses, see Louisville (disambiguation). ... iGATE Corporation (NASDAQ: IGTE) is an information technology company formerly known as Mastech Corporation (under which name it held an initial public offering on December 17, 1996. ... Associated Press logo The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

External links

• official website
• news story detailing the Nigerian Internet company deal
• Grady, Bill. "Mayor's runoff: one goal, two contenders." The New Orleans Times-Picayune, February 23, 1986.
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress