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

[Divinus Arma]

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

[Lemur]

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.

[Watchman]

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.

[master of the puppets]

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!

[Major Robert Dump]

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

[Seamus Fermanagh]

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.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

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

An other.

[Major Robert Dump]

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.

[Csargo]

Well thats hard to believe

[Lemur]

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.

[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.

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.

[Kralizec]

American politics?

Eew.