"Culture of Corruption" Another Congressman caught on video taking bribes

Quote:

---

Filing: Tape Shows Lawmaker Taking Money
May 21 4:35 PM US/Eastern

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press Writer

ALEXANDRIA, Va. A congressman under investigation for bribery was caught on videotape accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from an FBI informant whose conversations with the lawmaker also were recorded, according to a court document released Sunday. Agents later found the cash hidden in his freezer.

At one audiotaped meeting, Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., chuckles about writing in code to keep secret what the government contends was his corrupt role in getting his children a cut of a communications company's deal for work in Africa.

As Jefferson and the informant passed notes about what percentage the lawmaker's family might receive, the congressman "began laughing and said, 'All these damn notes we're writing to each other as if we're talking, as if the FBI is watching,'" according to the affidavit.

Jefferson, who represents New Orleans, has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.

As for the $100,000, the government says Jefferson got the money in a leather briefcase last July 30 at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Arlington. The plan was for the lawmaker to use the cash to bribe a high-ranking Nigerian official _ the name is blacked out in the court document _ to ensure the success of a business deal in that country, the affidavit said.

---

Article

It would be nice if we could rig up ejector seats in the House or Representatives, you know, rocket-powered seats that would fling corrupt Congressmen into the sky. That would make me very happy.

Strangely pleasing to see a Democrat get indicted for once. I was starting to think that the Republicans had a lock on graft.

Aside form their actual politics, I always considered the main difference to be that the Dems were better at "cunning".

Sort of what Mickey Moore said of the difference.

see now, was that so hard, a little video tape and recorder, the entire sting probably cost less than the bribe itself. so i really wonder how much it would cost to do a full scale investigation on the entire political system of america. investigate everyone, from mayor status up, for bribery and corruption, root it out i say!

The first ever federal raid on a federal congressional ofifce, he should be proud, he's made history.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Major Robert Dump

The first ever federal raid on a federal congressional ofifce, he should be proud, he's made history.

---

FBI raid on federal property on the hill....I don't even want to THINK about the paperwork.

And I thought only the EU was corrupted.
Alas, Poor Yorick… There’s something rotten in the Kingdom of Denmark…

Well when the Dems complained about the culture of corruption they were half right.

Quote:

---

Jefferson, who represents New Orleans

---

:idea2: Well he must be the first incompetent corrupt politician from New Orleans that I have ever, ever heard of.

Quote:

---

Stupid is what stupid does.

---

1) Build a city below sea level.
2) Do not evacuate from city in the event of a disaster.
3) Keep voting in corrupt and/or incompetent politicians.

The citizens of NO didn't deserver what happened to them. However by voting again for the people who got them in the mess they deserve everything that happens to them in the future.

NO = NO sense or just plain nonsense. :dizzy2:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1991341&page=1

An other.

Whats funny is that whats this mans accused of doing goes on everyday in state and federal legislatures, in a very subtle, unspoken, wink wink nudge nudge manner under the guise of growth, job creation and good of the community. This guys mistake was talking about it as if it were a crime. The ones who get away with it are the ones who act as if they arent doing anything wrong.

Well thats hard to believe

Speaking of legal, institutional corruption, looks like Santorum will take over as the #1 lobbyist fund-whore as soon as DeLay resigns from Congress.

Lest there's any doubt who's the king of K Street dollars, the study also took a snapshot of all members of Congress in the current 2006 cycle and found that Santorum is now the undisputed leader, with another $560,738. His closest challenger, Hillary Clinton, with her sights on the Democratic presidential nod in 2008, is a not-close second at $417,565.

the difference here is that you won't see the Dems rushing en masse to his defense, or news stations spinning this story a million different ways, or Dem users on here denying and making excuses for this guy.

contrast that with every single indictment and investigation of a republican party member.

he broke the law; he's got to go. any every Dem and Dem user on here will agree and attest to that.

American politics?

Eew.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by solypsist

the difference here is that you won't see the Dems rushing en masse to his defense, or news stations spinning this story a million different ways, or Dem users on here denying and making excuses for this guy.

---

Not too many ways to spin a video of the guy taking a bag full of cash on videotape and then later finding same cash stashed in his freezer. :laugh4:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lemur

Lest there's any doubt who's the king of K Street dollars, the study also took a snapshot of all members of Congress in the current 2006 cycle and found that Santorum is now the undisputed leader, with another $560,738. His closest challenger, Hillary Clinton, with her sights on the Democratic presidential nod in 2008, is a not-close second at $417,565.

---

He's probably done for in PA anyhow- Casey has the name recognition of his father. Add to that the anti-incumbent fervor sweeping Pennsylvania, and it's starting to look bad for Santorum.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xiahou

{Santorum} is probably done for in PA anyhow- Casey has the name recognition of his father.

---

You're quite certain that Santorum's imminent demise has nothing to do with his positions, policies and practices? It's all just name recognition? You're really, truly certain about that?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lemur

It's all just name recognition? You're really, truly certain about that?

---

I'm pretty sure I said more than that... but hey, if you want to ignore the rest of my statement, it's up to you. :shrug:

The anti-incumbent fervor is really palpable in the state, particularly at the state level- there was even an incumbent legislator who lost in the primaries to a 21yr old college student. After the 'pay raise' fiasco, people seem to be plain fed-up incumbents. For my part, anyone who voted for the pay raise and/or took the unvouchered expenses, gets an automatic vote to their opponent from me.

Also, you're obviously not from PA if you don't think Casey's name is a huge boost to his popularity. Governor Casey was the state's most beloved governor in recent memory.

so basically Santorum "being done" in PA has nothing to do with the man himself and/or his policies and track record but rather with a zeitgiest he has no control over. wow.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xiahou

I'm pretty sure I said more than that... but hey, if you want to ignore the rest of my statement, it's up to you.

---

Heh, you edited your post less than a minute before I was done replying. Your original statement was not quite so nuanced. Never mind, then, you threw in "anti-incumbent fever" to the mix, which goes a small way toward explaining why Santorum is viewed as a corrupt, divisive Christianist who doesn't even live in PA. Never mind.

Not living in PA is part of it as well. No doubt, as news of it spreads more and more people will resent him for it- but that's typical long-time incumbent behavior and not unique to Santorum. As to being a "divisive" Christian- that's a strength for most of his electorate. More relevent to the faithful would be his support of Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey- that was viewed as a betrayal of conservative values for party politics.

Like I said, incumbents are in trouble in PA- if someone finds reason to add Santorum to the list of corrupt incumbents people are most likely to pile on and say "lets get him too".

Certainly, if it wasn't for this 'perfect storm' of events -a Casey opposing him, anti-incumbency, and his support of Specter (which certainly damaged his popularity with the hard-core base), he'd be sitting safe- like most incumbents are.

Sadly, will this be more than a tiny little ripple in the ocean ? ...
Oh, wait, he'll be "demoted" to a "mere" high-paying administrative office position... meh.

Whheeeeee! Ha ha ha! Fun!

I think that sums up the situation pretty nicely - well done, DA ! :2thumbsup:

This is a little weird. "Office search riles GOP."

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Office search riles GOP
Jefferson raid violates precedent, they say
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
By Bruce Alpert
Washington bureau

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans continued Tuesday to strongly denounce the weekend FBI raid of Democrat William Jefferson's congressional office as a possible violation of the Constitution's separation of powers.

Telling reporters that he was trying to restrain his outrage, House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said he expects congressional leaders will talk about "the Justice Department's invasion of the legislative branch."

"I've got to believe, at the end of the day, it's going to end up across the street at the Supreme Court," he said.

The raid of the New Orleans congressman's office by more than a dozen FBI agents Sunday marked the first time in U.S. history that federal agents had searched the office of a sitting member of Congress, according to the Justice Department.

The FBI has been investigating Jefferson since March 2005, when a cooperating witness, Lori Mody, agreed to secretly record conversations that investigators say included discussions about how a percentage of the proceeds of telecommunications deal in Nigeria and Ghana could be paid to a company controlled by Jefferson's family.

Jefferson has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said Tuesday that the government believed it had no alternative but to search Jefferson's office.

"The reason it has never been done before is because we have been able to reach an accommodation, to reach an agreement, to receive the evidence that we need to prosecute wrongdoing through a subpoena," Gonzalez said. "And for a variety of reasons, that could not occur here. And we worked very hard over a period of time to get the information, the evidence that we felt was important to a criminal investigation."

Investigators say Jefferson also solicited a $100,000 cash payment from Mody that he said would be used to bribe a Nigerian official to advance the project. All but $10,000 of the money was found in the freezer of Jefferson's Washington home.

Robert Trout, Jefferson's attorney, did not return a call seeking a comment Tuesday. But he has said that information sought by the FBI, including faxes, notes, telephone records, ledgers and computer files, were all safeguarded and not at any risk of being destroyed or lost.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said he understands that there is a need to investigate possible wrongdoing, wherever it occurs, but that "nothing I have learned in the last 48 hours leads me to believe that there was any necessity to change the precedent" of more than 200 years.

Spillover to other probes

Political analysts suggested that the GOP concern may be shaped in part by other ongoing federal probes.

Norm Ornstein, a veteran congressional observer for the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said it looks to him as though the Justice Department was on a fishing expedition with the office raid, given all the taped evidence it has already gathered on Jefferson.

What motivates Republican leaders, Ornstein said, is a fear that federal prosecutors are sending a message that they are extending the investigation well beyond Jefferson to include GOP wrongdoing related to lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to bribery and tax evasion, and former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., who pleaded guilty to taking millions of dollars in bribes to add defense appropriations to spending bills.

Thomas Mann of the liberal Brookings Institution agreed.

"They must be worried by the expanding Department of Justice investigations following the Cunningham plea and the Abramoff affair, both of which are likely to involve sitting Republican members of the House and Senate," Mann said.

Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said he has ordered his staff at the Senate Rules Committee to prepare a memo on how the Senate should respond if the Justice Department attempts to search a senator's office.

"This is a little bit of a wake-up call," Lott said. "I don't know if what happened here (with Jefferson) was appropriate, but I want to make sure to create" a process to deal with such an event.

Crime investigation

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada was much more restrained than his Republican counterparts in talking about the raid.

"I believe strongly in separation of powers," Reid said. But, he said, when people commit crimes they should be prosecuted, whether "that person is a member of Congress or driving a cab."

"I will be happy to take a look at this," Reid said. "From the little bit that I know about it now, I'm not going to beat up on the FBI."

Another analyst said that members of Congress should protect congressional independence, but noted that current GOP leadership has not been nearly as aggressive in demanding information or access to documents from the current administration as it was when Democrat Bill Clinton was in the White House.

"They might be right about the separation of powers question, but they could have left Democrats to make the legalistic arguments that look so bad to voters," said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "Instead, it's the Republicans who moved front and center to demand that members of Congress should be treated better than the average American who is suspected of committing a serious crime. People absolutely despise the fact that congressmen think there are two sets of rules: one for Congress and the other set for everyone else."

so, as usual, this will derail from the starting point of the investigation, and nobody will care anymore about what he did, and it will all turn into a "this was illegal/unconstitutional/whatever" piece of hypocritical crap, right ?
And all the focus will be on whether they were allowed to do it, was it legal, did they have all the documents, why wasn't it done before, what kind of precedents it creates, etc, etc, etc...

meh, disgusting.

I see your point, Bloodrast, but police jurisdiction and the separation of powers are important issues too.

I'm actually surprised that the FBI didn't (apparently) work with, or under the cover of The Capitol Police, who plainly have jurisdiction and search-and-sieze powers in congressional offices. That tiny little bit of coordination would have avoided the whole "Who's Job is it, anyway?" flap.

Just from reading reports, the task seems to have been done clumsily, and it needn't have been.

As to the guy: fry 'im. edit: let me re-phrase that, less I'm misunderstood. "Fry 'im" is my shorthand for: I recommend he be prosecuted to the fullest extent, and if found guilty, sentenced to the maximum allowable punishment under law.

There's no denying that they are both important, and things _should_ be done by the book (otherwise, we may as well fry the darned book).
Hopefully, both issues will receive the deserved attention - but I hope you'll allow me my natural dose of skepticism here ~:cheers:

The lack of cooperation makes you ask yourself a bunch of unpleasant questions, such as: was he caught/suspected because someone had a grudge ? was the lack of cooperation due to the fact that, perhaps, some people weren't sure whom they could trust, and were afraid the affair would be quietly put under the blankets ?
Should I put my tinfoil hat on ? :laugh4:

And, small nit, Kukri, if you don't mind, it's Blodrast with just one 'o'. :bow:
(even though the alternative sounds... bloodier :laugh4: )

Quote:

---

And, small nit, Kukri, if you don't mind, it's Blodrast with just one 'o'.
(even though the alternative sounds... bloodier )

---

:headsmack: ofcourse; my humble apologies. It won't happen again Blodrast :bow:

aww, come on, no big deal, I did say it was a minor nit, and that's what it was. No apologies necessary, Kukri ~:cheers:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lemur

This is a little weird. "Office search riles GOP."

---

Nah, it's just stupid. This wasn't some presidentially ordered, spy on your political enemies deal- this search had a proper court order (with the judge specifically ordering the capitol police assist) and was part of a much larger, mature criminal investigation into wrongdoing.

Personally, I see this as having nothing to do with the Constitution and everything to do with our legislators feeling that they are above the law.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Xiahou

Personally, I see this as having nothing to do with the Constitution and everything to do with our legislators feeling that they are above the law.

---

And probably our legislators feeling a little scared about stuff they have hidden in their offices. And in other news, 400 paper shredders were delivered to Capitol Hill this morning...

New devlopment: Bush Orders Evidence Seized From Congressional Office Sealed.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bush Orders Evidence Seized From Congressional Office Sealed

May 25 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush ordered the Justice Department to put under seal evidence seized during a weekend raid on the congressional office of a lawmaker under investigation in a bribery case.

Bush took the step today after leaders of both parties complained that the Federal Bureau of Investigation overstepped the constitutional separation of powers by searching the government office of a member of Congress.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican, and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi yesterday issued a rare joint statement demanding the Justice Department return all documents taken from Representative William Jefferson's Capitol Hill office.

"I am directing the Department of Justice to seal all materials recovered from Congressman Jefferson's office for the next 45 days and not to allow access to anyone involved in the investigation,'' Bush said in a statement.

The material will be put in the custody of the U.S. Solicitor General's office.

Hastert has expressed frustration that the White House didn't consult him before the FBI searched Jefferson's offices on May 20. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat, was videotaped accepting a leather briefcase containing $100,000 in cash from a government witness, according to an FBI affidavit filed in connection with the search warrant. He has denied wrongdoing and hasn't been charged with a crime.

Hastert discussed his constitutional concerns directly with Bush this week, said Ron Bonjean, the congressman's spokesman.

"Investigating and prosecuting crime is a crucial executive responsibility that I take seriously,'' Bush's statement said. "Those who violate the law, including members of Congress, should and will be held to account. This investigation will go forward, and justice will be served.''

Sealing the evidence will give both sides time to ``resolve the issues'' involved in the raid, Bush said.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lemur

New devlopment: Bush Orders Evidence Seized From Congressional Office Sealed.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Bush Orders Evidence Seized From Congressional Office Sealed

May 25 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush ordered the Justice Department to put under seal evidence seized during a weekend raid on the congressional office of a lawmaker under investigation in a bribery case.

Bush took the step today after leaders of both parties complained that the Federal Bureau of Investigation overstepped the constitutional separation of powers by searching the government office of a member of Congress.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican, and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi yesterday issued a rare joint statement demanding the Justice Department return all documents taken from Representative William Jefferson's Capitol Hill office.

"I am directing the Department of Justice to seal all materials recovered from Congressman Jefferson's office for the next 45 days and not to allow access to anyone involved in the investigation,'' Bush said in a statement.

The material will be put in the custody of the U.S. Solicitor General's office.

Hastert has expressed frustration that the White House didn't consult him before the FBI searched Jefferson's offices on May 20. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat, was videotaped accepting a leather briefcase containing $100,000 in cash from a government witness, according to an FBI affidavit filed in connection with the search warrant. He has denied wrongdoing and hasn't been charged with a crime.

Hastert discussed his constitutional concerns directly with Bush this week, said Ron Bonjean, the congressman's spokesman.

"Investigating and prosecuting crime is a crucial executive responsibility that I take seriously,'' Bush's statement said. "Those who violate the law, including members of Congress, should and will be held to account. This investigation will go forward, and justice will be served.''

Sealing the evidence will give both sides time to ``resolve the issues'' involved in the raid, Bush said.

---

I think he's trying to keep Hastert from coming totally unglued. Between this and the ABC story, he has seemed a little on edge lately. :dizzy2:

I would be very suprised if the DoJ doesnt get the info that it wants- this is just a chance to placate and make nice with the Speaker.

Oh, and it's still totally ridiculous. ~;)

wheres theres flys theres bodies.

FBI is executive branch, court is judicial, congress is gonna get bent over so BOOHOO. Make all their computers available, they are the most eligible and high percentile to become subject to corruption based on the very nature of a "representative" congress. I mean, really, go anti-earmark some district money to cover your butts you stupid F****s, because its all right
there in writing about your partnerships with your real estate buddies and your shell tax/non-profit schemes.

Screw Congress. screw earmarks as the most undemocratic act
Congress has ever perpetuated on us while pretending the country is in budget shortfalls, and screw all the old timers who keep their seats because they gladhand their consituents at the cost of the rest of the nation and continue to get reelected because the people who vote are the people they blow.

the national congress is a joke, let some people making 40k a year and who care about their conutry raid all their offices and stop being babies about activities that should be public info anyway. I hate congress.

so......sealing it for 45 days, and practically suspending the investigations for the same amount of time, will surely allow the parties to ... hell, yeah, I can see it clearly now ! Of course it will make the truth surface more easily ! :dizzy2:

Better yet, why don't we just bury it ?
Hmm, let's see, postpone it for 45 days, then maybe for a couple of months longer, and then do some hush-hush stuff and hopefully we'll all forget about that by then, and stop making such a ruckus, eh ? :no:

Don't worry, MRD, I hate politicians with a passion as well. ~:grouphug:

Why in heavens name should this require 45 days?

Warrants were obtained and due process followed. The only possible reason for judging the search to have been inappropriate hinges on a Constitutional question. Therefore, the issue should be put before the Supreme Court on a fast-track and answered before the close of this session.

The relevant clause:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Constitution of the United States

Article I, Section. 6; Clause 1:

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.6 They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

---

You either take the view that a Representative in question is free from intrusive investigation as a consequence of her/his "privilege from arrest" under this clause, or you take the view that the collection of evidence aside from direct interrogation does not contravene this privilege. So get the attornies briefed -- should take about a week -- and resolve this puppy.

45 days is tripe. The only court that can issue a binding decision on this is the SCOTUS, and 45 days puts them in recess with no decision until mid-November possible. Of course, that's after the election, so this is probably designed with exactly that in mind.

My country's inability to resolve ANYTHING meaningful aside from military action between Memorial day and November 15th on the year of an election is a never-ending source of irritation for me. These people -- and I am being thoroughly bipartisan in this label -- wouldn't pass a resolution banning a fart in church during an election summer.:wall:

There's a clear felony exception- so if the above mentioned clause even did apply to their offices, it still wouldnt apply in this case because bribery is most certainly a felony.

Aaah, the summer recess had completely slipped out of my mind !...
Well, thank you, Seamus, now that you pointed that out, I guess it's pretty clear what the whole intent is - just like you said.
Mid-November, and then there'll be some more tergiversation (yup, I looked that up just to make sure :P), and, like I said, by the time this actually gets looked into, it'll be be completely forgotten, and, most likely, obsolete/irrelevant by who-knows-what else will happen in the meantime.

All in favor of actually bringing this issue into the light, raise your hands !
Anybody ? Anybody at all ? ... Ok, I guess not.