William J. Jefferson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bill Jefferson | |
| Louisiana's 2nd district | |
| 1991-present | |
| Political party: | |
|---|---|
| Preceded by: | Lindy Boggs |
| Succeeded by: | Incumbent |
| Religion: | Baptist |
| Born: | March 14 1947 Lake Providence, Louisiana |
| Spouse: | Andrea Jefferson |
William Jennings (Dollar Bill) Jefferson (born March 14, 1947) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana. A Democrat, Jefferson has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1991. He represents Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, which includes much of the greater New Orleans area. He is Louisiana's first black Congressman since Reconstruction.<ref>Washington Post article.</ref> He is currently the subject of a corruption probe, and in May 2006 his Congressional offices were raided, as well as his home in Northeast Washington, where, the FBI alleged, they "found $90,000 of the cash in the freezer, in $10,000 increments wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers." As a result of this scandal and his status in the minority party he is ranked by Knowlegis to be the least powerful member of the House of Representatives <ref>congress.org</ref>.
In the midterm election on November 7, 2006, Jefferson received 30% of the vote against several opponents, and will participate in a runoff election against Louisiana State Representative Karen Carter on December 9, 2006.
Contents |
[edit] Early life and career
Jefferson was born in Lake Providence, a small town in East Carroll Parish in far northeastern Louisiana, where he and his eight brothers and sisters worked alongside their father, who was a sharecropper and a heavy-equipment operator for the Army Corps of Engineers.
Though neither of his parents had graduated from high school, Jefferson graduated from G.W. Griffin High School in Lake Providence and 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 in 1972. After graduation, he became a law clerk for Judge Alvin B. Rubin of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 1972 to 1973, and a lawyer with a private practice. From 1973 to 1975, he was a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston, Jr., of Louisiana. He moved to New Orleans in 1976 and was elected as a member of the Louisiana Senate in 1980, where he served until 1991. He twice unsuccessfully ran for New Orleans mayor, first challenging Ernest N. Morial in the election of 1982, and then being defeated by Sidney Barthelemy in the mayoral runoff of 1986.<ref>Grady, Bill. "Mayor's runoff: one goal, two contenders." The New Orleans Times-Picayune, February 23, 1986.</ref> In 1990 William Jefferson was elected to the House, becoming the first black member of Congress from Louisiana since Reconstruction. In the House, Jefferson joined the Congressional Black Caucus.<ref>bioguide.congress.gov</ref>
[edit] Local influence
Jefferson and his family control one of the most sophisticated and effective get-out-the-vote organizations in South Louisiana: the Progressive Democrats. In 2002, their political machine helped Jefferson's protégée Renée Gill Pratt being elected as a Councilmember, even though it was unable to ensure that Jefferson's daughter Jalila would succeed Pratt as a Representative to the Louisiana State House. It also contributed to the election of Jefferson's sister Betty as a municipal assessor, in 1998, 2002 and 2006.
In recent years, New Orleans based political machines in general have lost clout. This trend has accelerated since thousands of New Orleanians were scattered across the United States, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The influence of the Progressive Democrats in particular may be compromised even more by the current corruption investigation that affects Jefferson.
[edit] Corruption investigation
Jefferson has been under investigation by the FBI for suspected corruption since March 2005. Since that time, he has been named in the two guilty pleas of associates. On 15 May 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. On 20 May 2006, Jefferson's Congressional offices were searched by the FBI, "believed to be the first-ever FBI raid on a Congressional office" <ref>Rollcall news</ref>, raising concerns that it could "set a dangerous precedent that could be used by future administrations to intimidate or harass a supposedly coequal branch of the government"<ref>New York Times article</ref>. See below.
An investigation of Jefferson by various agencies began in mid-2005, after an investor came to authorities. Jefferson is alleged to have received over $400,000 in bribes through a company maintained in the name of his spouse and children. The money came from a tech company named iGate, Inc. of Louisville, Kentucky, and in return, it is alleged, Jefferson would help iGate's business. Jefferson was to persuade the U.S. Army to test iGate's broadband two-way technology and other iGate products; use his efforts to influence, possibly through bribery, high-ranking officials in Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon; and meet with personnel of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, in order to facilitate potential financing for iGate business deals in those countries.<ref> FBI.Gov</ref>.
[edit] FBI investigation of alleged bribery and fraud
On 30 July 2005, Jefferson was videotaped by the FBI allegedly receiving $100,000 worth of 100 dollar bills in a leather briefcase at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Arlington, Virginia.<ref> Breitbart News article.</ref> Jefferson told an investor, Lori Mody, who was wearing a wire, that he would need to give Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar $500,000 "as a motivating factor" to make sure they obtained contracts for iGate and Mody's company in Nigeria.<ref> Washington Post article.</ref> A few days later, on 3 August 2005, FBI agents raided Jefferson's home in Northeast Washington and, as noted in an 83-page affidavit filed to support a subsequent raid on his Congressional office, "found $90,000 of the cash in the freezer, in $10,000 increments wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers." Serial numbers found on the currency in the freezer matched serial numbers of funds given by the FBI to their informant.
Late in the night of 20 May 2006, FBI agents executed a search warrant<ref>Affadavit and search warrant (1.25MB PDF)</ref> at Jefferson's office in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The affidavit used to support these raids included, among other allegations:
- The FBI videotaped Jefferson receiving a stock certificate from Mody for a company set up in Nigeria to promote iGate's technology. Jefferson predicted the deal would generate $200 million annually after five years.
- Jefferson told Mody that he wanted a similar financial stake in the business in Ghana.
- Jefferson sought $10 million in financing from Mody to take over iGate and install "confidants" on the new board. In two payments, Mody wired $89,225 to the ANJ Group LLC, a company controlled by Jefferson's family.
- Jefferson lent $4,800 of the money Mody gave him to an unnamed congressional aide. Another $4,900 was given back to the FBI by one of Jefferson's attorneys.
- The FBI claims it has uncovered "at least seven other schemes in which Jefferson sought things of value in return for his official acts."<ref>nola.com</ref>
[edit] Former aides plead guilty
In January 2006, Brett M. Pfeffer, a former aide to Jefferson, implicated him in a corruption scheme involving an Internet company being set up in Nigeria. Pfeffer was president of an investment company in McLean, Virginia. In return for political support for the deal, 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. Jefferson also is said to have arranged for his family a 5% to 7% ownership stake in the Nigerian Internet company. Pfeffer pled guilty to charges of aiding and abetting bribery of a public official and conspiracy on 11 January 2006 in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia [1]. On May 26, he was sentenced to eight years, but was "cooperating in an ongoing probe and may be eligible for a sentence reduction afterward", according to a prosecutor. <ref> Barakat, Matthew. "Ex-Jefferson aide gets 8 years in bribery scheme", AP, May 26, 2006. </ref>
On 3 May 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 Congressman William Jefferson (Democrat-Louisiana) is the accused congressman, without naming him." 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 [2]. On September 8th, Jackson was sentenced to 7 years & 3 months in jail [3].
[edit] Congressional office raid
The May 20 raid of Jefferson's office in Room 2113 of the Rayburn House Office Building set off a series of political events. Jefferson immediately challenged the action in federal court, and members of the House generally reacted strongly against the raid. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued "a rare joint statement demanding that the FBI return the documents and saying that Jefferson then should cooperate more fully with the investigation." <ref>Bush orders documents seized in Capitol Hill search sealed, CNN</ref>. "Many Republicans and Democrats contend that the unprecedented raid on a congressional office was unduly aggressive and may have breached the constitutional separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government that are meant to shelter lawmakers from administrative intimidation." <ref>Shailagh Murray and Allan Lengel, Washington Post, May 25 2006</ref> Tensions escalated to the point where, according to AP, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, his deputy, Paul McNulty, and possibly FBI Director Robert Mueller "were said to be ready to quit if the Justice Department was asked to return the Jefferson documents...[while the] House was threatening to go after the Justice Department's budget." <ref> Reichman, Deb. "Threats Led Bush to Intervene in FBI Fight", AP, May 29 2006. </ref>
On May 25, President Bush stepped in, taking the extraordinary step of "directing the Department of Justice to seal all the materials recovered from Congressman William Jefferson's (Democrat-Louisiana) office for the next 45 days and not to allow access to anyone involved in the investigation." <ref>Text of Bush's order to seal materials for 45 days</ref>
While members of the Senate, however, seemed to take a more measured view of the raid, <ref> Romano, Lois. "Senate Leaders Profess Less Outrage on FBI Raid", Washington Post, May 29 2006, pp. A4. </ref> On 30 May 2006, Representative James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee began to hold hearings, called "Reckless Justice: Did the Saturday Night Raid of Congress Trample the Constitution?", on the "profoundly disturbing" questions that he said the Justice Department's actions have raised.
The FBI, in answering Jefferson's complaint of the raid, attached an FBI agent's affidavit claiming that the raid was necessary because while the FBI was searching his home in August, Jefferson tried to "surreptitiously remove" documents. <ref>Justice Prosecutor's Response to Jefferson Request (2006). Retrieved on 2006-05-31.</ref>
An ABC News poll released 1 June 2006 found 86% of Americans supported the FBI's right to search congressional offices when they obtain a warrant. <ref>Poll: Americans Support Searches; Public Sides With FBI in Congress Search Issue (2006). Retrieved on 2006-06-05.</ref>
On July 10, 2006, Chief Judge Thomas F. Hogan for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, ruled the FBI raid on Jefferson's office was legal,<ref> Judge rules FBI raid on Hill office legal - Jerry Seper and Christina Bellantoni, Washington Times, July 11, 2006 ] </ref> rejecting his and the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the Unites States House of Representatives claim that the search violated the Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause, separation of powers principle and Fourth Amendment. Chief Judge Hogan, in a 28-page ruling, acknowledged that the "facts and questions of law presented here are indeed unprecedented," but wrote that it is "well-established" that a Congressman is "generally bound to the operation of the criminal laws as are ordinary persons," and the Speech or Debate Clause does not "make Members of Congress super-citizens, immune from criminal responsibility.'"<ref> IN RE: SEARCH OF THE RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING ROOM NUMBER 2113 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515 (2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-10., citing United States v. Brewster, 408 U.S. 501, 516.</ref> Hogan, in his conclusion, wrote:
- "The existing broad protections of the Speech or Debate Clause – absolute immunity from prosecution or suit for legislative acts and freedom from being 'questioned' about those acts (including privilege from the testimonial act of producing documents in response to a subpoena) – satisfy the fundamental purpose of the Clause to protect the independence of the legislature. The Court declines to extend those protections further, holding that the Speech or Debate Clause does not shield Members of Congress from the execution of valid search warrants. Congressman Jefferson's interpretation of the Speech or Debate privilege would have the effect of converting every congressional office into a taxpayer-subsidized sanctuary for crime. Such a result is not supported by the Constitution or judicial precedent and will not be adopted here. See Williamson v. United States, 28 S. Ct. at 167 ('[T]he laws of this country allow no place or employment as a sanctuary for crime.') (quotation omitted).<ref> IN RE: SEARCH OF THE RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING ROOM NUMBER 2113 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515 (2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-10.</ref>
However later that same month, a three-judge appellate panel unanimously overruled Hogan's decision and affirmed that the Department of Justice could not review Rep. Jefferson's files until he had seen what files were taken and which of those pertained to his work as a legislator. The appellate court directed that Hogan, the judge who originally authorized the controversial search and seizure, should determine if Jefferson's claims of legislative privilege extend to specific seized files that the lawmaker may cite. Jefferson was not charged with any crime at the close of July of 2006. cite
[edit] Stripped of committee membership
On May 24, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi publicly requested his immediate resignation from the House Ways and Means Committee; he declined to do so.<ref>chron.com article.</ref> Although Mel Watt, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus declared the strong support of the caucus for Jefferson it has since been reported that two prominent members of the caucus, John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) have played a major role in the campaign to force Jefferson to step down.<ref>http://www.milwaukeecourier.org/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=9044&sID=3</ref>
On 15 June 2006, House Democrats voted to strip Jefferson of his committee assignment while the federal bribery investigation continues. Members approved the move after Jefferson repeatedly refused to step aside. Despite claims of the Congressional Black Caucus that Jefferson was being treated unfairly, the vote passed 99-58. Some have reported that the vote was passed as a result of Democrats who are determined to make an election-year point about ethics. The full House, which is the only group with the power to actually remove Jefferson, then stripped him of his seat on the committee on June 16th in a voice vote without debate. Jefferson had offered to step aside temporarily if the Democratic caucus established a rule concerning cases like his and if his seat went to Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA). This offer was rejected by House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13348896/</ref>
[edit] 2006 Election
Main article: Louisiana House elections, 2006
In Louisiana, a second ballot is held when none of the candidates gets more than 50% of the vote. Jefferson, who obtained only 30% of the vote on November 7, 2006, will face Louisiana State Representative Karen Carter in December 2006.
In the week before the candidate filing deadline, a number of challengers filed to challenge Jefferson. The most viable opponents were Karen Carter, State Senator Derrick Shepherd, former New Orleans City Councilmember Troy Carter, all Democrats, and Republican Attorney Joe Lavigne.
In mid-October, Jefferson was passed over by the Democratic party's State Central Committee in favor of Karen Carter. The committee voted 69 to 53 to endorse Carter in the Nov. 7 election. AP reported that "it was the first time in recent memory that an incumbent failed to win the state party's endorsement, said party member Elsie Burkhalter." <ref>"Democratic Party in La. Backs Rival Of Jefferson", Associated Press, October 15, 2006.</ref>
In Louisiana's current jungle primary system, party support is not necessarily tantamount to victory. For instance, in 1991, Republicans in Louisiana endorsed then U.S. Representative Clyde C. Holloway for governor, rather than incumbent Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer, III. However Holloway lost the race with only 5.3 percent of the vote in the primary.
The fact that so many candidates ran on the same ballot, regardless of party affiliations, may have advantaged Jefferson by dividing the opposition he was facing for the first ballot. <ref>Phillips, Lauren. "Bribery Claims Fail to Keep Jefferson from Filing in La. 2", CQPolitics.com, August 9, 2006.</ref>
[edit] Nickname
In the wake of the corruption investigation, the New Orleans media often refers to the congressman as Dollar Bill Jefferson. According to Conservative political commentator Jeff Crouere, he "received his unflattering nickname from the late Ernest “Dutch” Morial." <ref>Crouere, Jeff. "Will "Dollar" Bill Jefferson Be Deposited In Jail?", Politics La.com, May 19, 2006.</ref> It seems that "Morial had asked his protégé for some legal work and was given it — along with a staggering bill. Outraged, Morial coined the nickname."<ref>Cartledge, Dennis. "Dollar Bill: The Jefferson Files", GP Background Stories, June 5, 2006.</ref>
[edit] Electoral history
Mayor of New Orleans, 1982
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 6, 1982
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Ernest Morial | Democratic | 75,929 (47%) | Runoff |
| Ron Faucheux | Democratic | 73,441 (45%) | Runoff |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 11,327 (7%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 1,164 (1%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, March 20, 1982
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Ernest Morial | Democratic | 100,703 (53%) | Elected |
| Ron Faucheux | Democratic | 88,583 (47%) | Defeated |
Mayor of New Orleans, 1986
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 1, 1986
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 62,333 (39%) | Runoff |
| Sidney Barthelemy | Democratic | 53,961 (33%) | Runoff |
| Sam LeBlanc | Democratic | 40,963 (25%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 4,372 (3%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, March 1, 1986
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Sidney Barthelemy | Democratic | 93,050 (58%) | Elected |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 67,680 (42%) | Defeated |
State Senator, 1987
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 24, 1987
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | No Opponents | Elected |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 1990
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 6, 1990
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 32,237 (24%) | Runoff |
| Marc Morial | Democratic | 29,366 (22%) | Runoff |
| Jon Johnson | Democratic | 25,468 (19%) | Defeated |
| Woody Koppel | Democratic | 24,175 (18%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 20,800 (17%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 6, 1990
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 55,239 (52%) | Elected |
| Marc Morial | Democratic | 50,232 (48%) | Defeated |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 1992
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 3, 1992
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 67,030 (73%) | Elected |
| Wilma Knox Irvin | Democratic | 14,121 (15%) | Defeated |
| Roger Johnson | Independent | 10,090 (11%) | Defeated |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 1994
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 1, 1994
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 60,906 (78%) | Elected |
| Bob Namer | Republican | 15,113 (19%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 5,549 (3%) | Defeated |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 1996
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, September 21, 1996
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | No Opponents | Elected |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 1998
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, November 3, 1998
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 102,247 (78%) | Elected |
| David Reed | Democratic | 10,803 (9%) | Defeated |
| Don-Terry Veal | Democratic | 5,899 (5%) | Defeated |
Governor of Louisiana, 1999
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 23, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Mike Foster | Republican | 805,203 (62%) | Elected |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 382,445 (30%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 107,557 (8%) | Defeated |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 2000
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, November 7, 2000
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | No Opponents | Elected |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 2002
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, November 5, 2002
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 90,310 (64%) | Elected |
| Irma Muse Dixon | Democratic | 28,480 (20%) | Defeated |
| Silky Sullivan | Republican | 15,440 (11%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 7,926 (5%) | Defeated |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 2004
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, November 2, 2004
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 173,510 (79%) | Elected |
| Art Schwertz | Republican | 46,097 (21%) | Defeated |
U. S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District, 2006
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, November 7, 2006
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bill Jefferson | Democratic | 27,706 (30%) | Runoff |
| Karen Carter | Democratic | 19,972 (22%) | Runoff |
| Derrick Shepherd | Democratic | 16,621 (18%) | Defeated |
| Joe Lavigne | Republican | 12,405 (13%) | Defeated |
| Troy Carter | Democratic | 11,052 (12%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 4,661 (5%) | Defeated |
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] External links
- Motion by William Jefferson to Return Property Seized by FBI from His Congressional Office
- Justice Prosecutor's Response to Jefferson Request
- Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
- Josh Chafetz, "Privileged: Blame the Court," The New Republic Online, May 31, 2006 (arguing that the search of Jefferson's office was unconstitutional).
[edit] Further reading
- William J. Jefferson's official house.gov website
- "The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch)" - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
| Preceded by: Frederick Eagan (D) | Louisiana State Senator (Orleans Parish)
Bill Jefferson (D) | Succeeded by: Diana Bajoie (D) |
| Preceded by: Lindy Boggs (D) | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district January 3, 1991 – present | Incumbent |
| Louisiana's current delegation to the United States Congress |
|---|
| Senators: Mary Landrieu (D), David Vitter (R)
Representative(s): Bobby Jindal (R), William J. Jefferson (D), Charles Melancon (D), Jim McCrery (R), Rodney Alexander (R), Richard H. Baker (R), Charles Boustany (R) All delegations: Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming — American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands |
Categories: Current events | 1947 births | Living people | African American politicians | African Americans in the United States Congress | Baptists | Congressional scandals | Current members of the United States House of Representatives | Louisiana lawyers | Louisiana State Senators | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana | People from New Orleans | Candidates for governor of Louisiana
