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After serving 18 years in Congress, former Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana, a Democrat, will continue his service in a different federal institution -- prison. He was sentenced recently to serve 13 years for bribery. But his fellow prisoners will have to forgive Jefferson if he grins and whistles as he stamps out license plates. That's because he is still eligible for a guaranteed $50,000 pension in his first year of retirement, which will increase each year thereafter with the cost of living.

It’s time for a True Crime post and some updates on the Balloon Boy, Dave Letterman, Murdering Muslims and William Jefferson, DEMOCRAT, Louisiana. New this week we have sexual perversion stories buried in jars on a remote farm, a fine fellow who murders his senile father on a public beach with a bevy of witnesses. Some stupid criminals and much more.

The Jeffersons can stop fretting about their reputation: Stephanie GraceBy Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune November 15, 2009, 5:36AM Mose Jefferson, convicted brother of a convicted former congressman, recently asked a federal judge to delay his Dec. 10 sentencing for one crime so as not to prejudice potential jurors in his Jan. 25 trial on allegations of another, which is related to neither his nor his famous sibling's prior indictment. At this point, you've got to wonder: Why bother? **SNIP** What she didn't say is that timing really doesn't matter, because any damage to the collective Jefferson reputation is already done....

Jefferson's former constiuents react to his sentencingAssociated Press - November 13, 2009 9:04 PM ET NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Louisiana residents had mixed reactions about former Congressman William Jefferson's 13-year sentence handed down Friday in federal court in Virginia. Jefferson was sentenced for taking bribes and given the longest term ever imposed on a congressman for such a crime. Thirty-6-year-old James Womack of Gretna says he was satisfied with the length of the sentence but says a longer term would have set a good example for other politicians who think of doing something wrong while in office. Songy Turner, a...

Jail For Corruption. William Jefferson was sentenced today for quite a few federal offenses. Among them bribery. He’s most famous for having the freezer with $90,000 in cash inside. According to Politico: Jefferson’s sentence was the harshest ever handed out to a former lawmaker, but Justice Department officials said Jefferson warranted such a severe sanction due to the unprecedented scale of his corruption. Jefferson appeared in court Friday afternoon in a black suit and a red tie, with his five daughters, his wife and his brother. Jefferson did not speak at his sentencing, and his attorney Robert Trout says he...

William Jefferson's attorneys to ask that he remain free on bond after sentencingBy Jonathan Tilove November 10, 2009, 8:30PM Attorneys for William Jefferson are asking a federal judge to allow the former Democratic congressman to remain free on bond after his sentencing Friday pending appeal of his conviction on 11 counts of corruption. In the filing Tuesday, the attorneys said Jefferson's appeal stands a reasonable chance of success and that, contrary to the assertions of the U.S. attorney's office, Jefferson poses no flight risk. "Even if he could leave the country, there is absolutely no likelihood that the defendant would...

Prosecutors want a sentence of at least 27 years for a Democrat convicted of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes while in office. A federal court found 18-year Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) guilty this past August on 11 counts of bribery, racketeering and money-laundering. Federal guidelines specify he could face more than 20 years of prison time for his misdeeds, but prosecutors on Monday made clear they will make the case for at least 27 years — and a maximum of 33 years — when sentencing begins this Friday. The defense has yet to file its sentencing arguments, according to...

William Jefferson sentencing of 27-33 years recommendedBy Jonathan Tilove November 06, 2009, 9:04PM Prosecutors on Friday night issued a memorandum recommending that former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson be sentenced to between 27 and 33 years in prison. Jefferson, 62, will be sentenced by federal Judge T.S. Ellis III on Nov. 13. The prosecution's sentencing memorandum suggests that Jefferson, who served 18 years in Congress, may have hidden resources and "poses a significant risk of flight,'' and ought to be immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after sentencing at the Alexandria, Va., courthouse. If Ellis follows the...

Jefferson's criminal sentencing, bankruptcy hearing a month apartBy Jonathan Tilove November 03, 2009, 6:52AM Former Rep. William Jefferson will face sentencing Nov. 13 on 11 counts of federal public corruption. But it will not be the last court hearing this fall for Jefferson. On Dec. 9, if he is still a free man, Jefferson is due to appear before Judge Jerry A. Brown in United States Bankruptcy Court in New Orleans to argue that he and his wife should be able to keep their wedding rings and that his family has the right to hold onto one of his guns....

Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases. - Thomas Jefferson Background Back in the late 1700’s when our independence from Britain was declared, the colonies had some idea of what they didn’t want in a ruling government. They envisioned a limited government that would protect individual rights and liberty and that would rule by majority. Since then, the federal bureaucracy has evolved from its creation as a protector of liberty and individual rights to securing our welfare and...

Sentencing for ex-Rep. Jefferson delayed 2 weeksUpdated: Oct 19, 2009 6:28 AM EDT ALEXANDRIA, VA (AP) - A judge has postponed for two weeks the scheduled sentencing of a former Louisiana congressman convicted of taking bribes and racketeering. A jury in northern Virginia convicted William Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans, on 11 of 16 counts. Prosecutors said he received more than $500,000 in bribes and solicited millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. The sentencing had been scheduled for Oct. 30. It's now set for Nov. 13 because defense...

Jefferson's law license suspendedUpdated: Oct 17, 2009 10:19 AM EDT NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A former Louisiana congressman convicted of taking bribes and racketeering has had his law license suspended. An order issued Wednesday by the Louisiana Supreme Court says William Jefferson is suspended from practicing law pending another order by the court. In August, a federal jury in Virginia convicted the New Orleans Democrat on 11 of 16 counts. Prosecutors said Jefferson received more than $500,000 in bribes and solicited millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. His sentencing is set for...

William Jefferson's attorneys ask for 2-week sentencing delayBy Bruce Alpert, Times-Picayune October 08, 2009, 2:50PM Attorneys for former Rep. William Jefferson today asked for a two-week delay in sentencing their client. If granted, it would push sentencing from Oct. 30 to Nov. 13. Prosecutors said they'd accept a one-week delay, but would object to anything longer. **SNIP** In asking Ellis for a delay in sentencing, Jefferson's lawyers, led by Robert Trout, said a defendant is entitled to receive the pre-sentence report from the federal probation officer at least 35 days before sentencing. Jefferson didn't receive his report until Oct 1,...

What's good enough for Rep. William Jefferson is good enough for Rep. Charles Rangel, some sayBy Times-Picayune Staff October 04, 2009, 4:15AM Some House Republicans are calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to follow the same logic dealing with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., that she did in 2006 when she persuaded the House Democratic caucus to remove then Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, from the panel. Rep. John Carter, R-Tx., has been alluding to the Jefferson action as he sought to force Rangel's ouster over alleged ethical and financial lapses. Pelosi successfully sought Jefferson's removal after...

Two days ago we were sitting on the dock in Como, having a gellato, waiting for our ship to come in. Not actually a ship, just a small commuter boat that connects the small communities on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy. It is a breathtakingly beautiful place. I can see why VIPs come to a small hotel, built by a mediaeval Cardinal as his residence, just up the Lake. No wonder that George Clooney has a villa here, that is reached only by helicopter, or so the gossip says. And, this area's history reaches deep into the...

Jefferson reports $7 million in debts$5.7 million is legal debt from case By Michelle Krupa Saturday, September 12, 2009 Convicted former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson reported in a bankruptcy court filing Friday that he and his wife have more than $7.1 million in debt, including $5.7 million owed to the law firm that represented him against federal corruption charges. The Jeffersons reported about $2 million in assets, most of it comprised of family homes in New Orleans and Washington, and a parcel of farmland in East Carroll Parish. Still, the couple reported that their monthly household income continues to outpace...

A Declaration by the Representatives of the United Colonies of North-America, Now Met in Congress at Philadelphia, Setting Forth the Causes and Necessity of Their Taking Up Arms.(1) If it was possible for men, who exercise their reason to believe, that the divine Author of our existence intended a part of the human race to hold an absolute property in, and an unbounded power over others, marked out by his infinite goodness and wisdom, as the objects of a legal domination never rightfully resistible, however severe and oppressive, the inhabitants of these colonies might at least require from the...

Ethics spotlight burns on House DemsBy Susan Crabtree - 09/09/09 06:05 AM ET The ethics spotlight on House Democrats is intensifying amid predictions from political analysts that Republicans will pick up many seats in next year’s midterm elections. Few are going so far as to say that the GOP will win back the House, but ethics controversies are key to the rise of the minority party in the lower chamber. Republicans capitalized on Democratic ethics woes to win the House in 1994 and Democrats turned the tables on the GOP in 2006, catapulting Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to Speaker. Republicans...

"Here's to You Mr. Jefferson" Awesome! by Mike Church

"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers" - Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826). That was before TV, of course. I think today Jefferson would add TV in there with the newspapers. Maybe there are serious, rational news programs on TV. I wouldn't know because I don't watch it much. I get my information through my eyes more than my ears. I wish I really knew Thomas Jefferson through and through, but I don't. If I can ever get to that stage of retirement where the leisure time is supposed...

A Library of Congress curator is on a worldwide mission to find exact copies of the books that belonged to Thomas Jefferson For more than a decade, Mark Dimunation has led a quest to rebuild an American treasure—knowing he will likely never see the complete results of his efforts. On an August day 195 years ago, the British burned the U.S. Capitol in the War of 1812 and by doing so, destroyed the first Library of Congress. When the war ended, former President Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his personal library, which at 6,487 books was the largest in America,...

The debate over ObamaCare brings to mind an old dispute exploding national debt brings to mind a defining conflict between two of America's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Their feud--nicely recounted in John Ferling's A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic--has parallels with today's debate, but with an ironic twist.Hamilton, our first Secretary of the Treasury, was a nationalist who had an expansive view of the powers granted to the nascent federal government under the newly-ratified Constitution. A favorite of President George Washington (in whose staff he served during the war of independence),...

William Jefferson legal saga far from overby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Friday August 07, 2009, 8:08 PM William Jefferson faces daunting challenges on top of the potentially lengthy prison term Judge T.S. Ellis III could impose Oct. 30 for his conviction this week on 11 of 16 corruption charges. The former congressman faces a forfeiture hearing at a yet undetermined date as a result of the jury's finding that he and his family received $470,000 and more than 30 million shares of stock proceeds as a result of criminal activities. He also must deal with a lawsuit in Kentucky brought...

American idealism is infectious. I’m as cynical about my own country’s political system as the next world-weary Brit. But, whenever I go to Washington, I give in to that guileless enthusiasm which foreigners so often dismiss as naïveté. Like the James Stewart character in Mr Smith goes to Washington, I goggle reverently at the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, the Battle Hymn of the Republic swelling in my mind. As regular readers will know, Thomas Jefferson is one of my heroes: he kept alive in North America a strain of British liberty that has all but perished from the mother country....

William Jefferson should forfeit $470,000 after guilty verdict, jury saysby Bruce Alpert and Jonathan Tilove, The Times-Picayune Thursday August 06, 2009, 8:20 PM William Jefferson, the former Democratic congressman convicted of 11 of 16 counts of corruption, can be held liable to forfeit more than $470,000 in bribe money paid to sham companies under his family's control, a jury ruled Thursday, one day after convicting him. The jury also found that ANJ Group, one of those front companies controlled by Jefferson's wife, Andrea, and their five daughters, could be required to surrender millions of shares of stock in a Kentucky...

Four years to the week after federal agents found $90,000 stashed in a freezer at his Washington home, former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson was found guilty Wednesday of putting his clout up for sale. The guilty verdicts on 11 of 16 corruption counts ought to at last lift the cloud that Mr. Jefferson's tawdry behavior has cast over New Orleans since the FBI raid Aug. 3, 2005. Oddly enough, the jury in Alexandria, Va., returned a not guilty verdict on the count involving the $90,000, which prosecutors said Mr. Jefferson planned to deliver as a bribe to the vice president...

Like we haven't been saying this for years: ALEXANDRIA, VA. - Former Democratic Congressman William Jefferson was found guilty of 11 of 16 corruption charges today by a federal jury. The jury of eight women and four men returned a guilty verdict following five days of deliberation. In the 16-count indictment, Jefferson was charged with soliciting bribes and other crimes for a series of schemes in which he helped American businesses broker deals in West African in exchange for payments or financial considerations to companies controlled by members of his family, including his brother Mose, his wife, Andrea, their five...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson has been found guilty of 11 of the 16 charges against him in a federal bribery and conspiracy trial. Jefferson was accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa.

UPDATE: William Jefferson jury completes fourth day without verdictby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Tuesday August 04, 2009, 3:15 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- The jury in former Democratic Congressman William Jefferson's bribery and corruption trial has completed a fourth day of deliberations without reaching a verdict. Jurors concluded the day about 90 minutes early to accommodate the schedule of one of their members. They will return Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. There was some courtroom action today as Judge T.S. Ellis and lawyers in the case held two brief bench conferences in the morning to deal with a question from the jury...

Jurors in William Jefferson's case go home for weekendby The Times-Picayune Friday July 31, 2009, 3:00 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- Jurors in the trial of former Democratic Congressman William Jefferson have gone home for the weekend and will resume deliberations Monday at 9:30 a.m. The jury met for about six hours today after deliberating for about four hours Thursday . Closing arguments were delivered Wednesday with jury instructions Thursday morning. Given the complexity of the 16-count indictment that includes charge of bribery, fraud, money laundering and racketeering, legal experts have said they expect the deliberations to take several days. The...

William Jefferson jury begins its deliberations in federal corruption caseby Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Thursday July 30, 2009, 8:15 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The jury in the 16-count federal corruption case of William Jefferson heard more than 2 1/2 hours of jury instructions from Judge T.S. Ellis III on Thursday and then began their deliberations. The jurors broke for the day after about four hours of deliberations and will return Friday morning. "You're the sole judge of the evidence received in this case, " Ellis told the jury before launching into a long and detailed explication of...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A jury is scheduled to hear closing arguments Wednesday in the bribery trial of a former Louisiana congressman .. William Jefferson, a Democrat .. is accused of receiving more than $400,000 in bribes .. Jefferson's attorneys argue that their client was essentially acting as a private business consultant and never violated bribery laws.

Jefferson's Wife Paid State Salary While Attending TrialAndrea Jefferson Gets $72,000 Per Year From SUNO **SNIP** "It is unfortunate that in these tough times for higher education that the Southern University system continues to pay $72,100 and Mrs. Jefferson continues to accept her salary. This is the type of waste that is plaguing our higher education systems," Republican State Rep. Cameron Henry said. State Sen. Julie Quinn, also a Republican, said, "Mrs. Jefferson's 'paid leave of absence' ... doesn't pass the 'smell test,' particularly when higher education has been forced to increase tuition and fees due to budget cuts." Jefferson...

William Jefferson defense rests after tapes playedby Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Thursday July 23, 2009, 10:15 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- In a moment of courtroom drama Thursday, the prosecutors in the corruption trial of William Jefferson withdrew their objections and let the former New Orleans congressman's attorneys play nearly 90 minutes of secretly taped recordings that the defense team said was crucial to his case. **SNIP** "If I'm wrong and it has to be retried, so be it, " he declared, then adding to the urgency of the moment by saying his 93-year-old mother was expecting him...

Florida businesswoman says she sought to bribe former Rep. William Jeffersonby Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Tuesday July 21, 2009, 2:24 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- A Florida businesswoman who had lined up a deal to exploit untapped oil reserves off the coast of the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe testified today in the corruption trial of former Rep. William Jefferson that she had agreed to give his brother Mose an oil lot potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for the congressman's help in untangling the knots that had tied up the deal....

William Jefferson faces decision on whether to testifyby Jonathan Tilove, The Times-Picayune Monday July 20, 2009, 9:21 PM WASHINGTON -- William Jefferson and his legal team now face the most difficult and fateful decision of his trial: whether the former nine-term Democratic congressman from New Orleans should take the stand in his own defense. "It's the last decision you make, " said James Neal, a prominent Nashville, Tenn., defense attorney. "It's just a terrible decision to make because the case then turns on it. You can forget about everything else that came before in the case. The case now depends...

William Jefferson defense to take stage soonby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Saturday July 18, 2009, 8:20 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- Now, it's the defense team's turn. **SNUP** On Tuesday, jurors heard satellite radio executive Noah Samara say he was a longtime friend of the congressman's and happy to hire Jefferson's daughter to draw up the papers for an oil deal the two were pursuing. But he said he drew the line when the congressman suggested he also give her equity ownership in the venture. A day later, it was Folsom oil executive John Melton who said he drew up an...

William Jefferson trial about to enter final lapby Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Friday July 17, 2009, 9:17 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- The end is in sight for the corruption trial of former Democratic Congressman William Jefferson. **SNIP** After polling the jury, Ellis said that if testimony ends Wednesday, they would break until the following Tuesday, July 28. The break would enable the attorneys to prepare and for the court to resolve any remaining legal issues before the case goes to the jury. 'Explicit conflict of interest' Friday's session began with testimony from Thomas Hardy, an official of...

William Jefferson's former friend and associate says congressman told him, 'You worry too much'by Jonathan Tilove and Bruce Alpert The Times-Picayune Tuesday July 14, 2009, 8:38 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- William Jefferson, then a New Orleans congressman, and Noah Samara, the Ethiopian-born CEO of WorldSpace, which brought satellite radio to parts of Asia and Africa, were close. They shared political views, books on Africa and frequent dinners. In 200, when Jefferson was chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Samara and President Bill Clinton were the recipients of the chairman's annual award. **SNIP** $50,000 never repaid Samara testified that when...

William Jefferson corruption trial shifts to other 'schemes'by Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Friday July 10, 2009, 7:12 AM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- After more than three weeks of testimony about William Jefferson's efforts to bring telecommunications projects to western Africa in return for what prosecutors labeled bribes, the jury Thursday heard about several of the other 11 alleged schemes in the corruption indictment against the nine-term former congressman. The trial, which began on June 9 with jury selection, finally appears to be moving closer to completion. Lead prosecutor Mark Lytle said he hopes to finish the government's case on July 17...

Ex-congressman filmed accepting $100,000Published: 07/08/2009 By Matthew Barakat Associated Press ALEXANDRIA, Va. - From four different angles, jurors saw a former Louisiana congressman accept a suitcase filled with $100,000 on videos played in court Tuesday. **SNIP** The recordings played in U.S. District Court show Lori Mody, a northern Virginia businesswoman who cooperated with an FBI investigation, leading Jefferson to the trunk of a car parked outside the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Pentagon City. Jefferson reaches in, grabs the suitcase and puts it in a small duffel bag. The FBI recorded the handoff from five different angles, and four of those were...

The Meeting by David Dempster Freedom@DempsterConsulting.com Dedicated To Ron Paul, Defender of the Constitution 4th of July 2009 He was suddenly alert, listening for a sound that might have awakened him. Outside a storm raged, and as a fresh thunderclap burst he relaxed and settled to go back to sleep. Then he heard the knocking. It was most unusual for his man Antonio to disturb him during the night hours. He quickly threw back the bed sheets, wondering what emergency might await him. When he opened the door it was not Antonio who stood there, but a stranger. He was...

A Declaration By the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress Assembled. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for a people to advance from that subordination in which they have hitherto remained, and to assume among powers of the earth the equal and independent station to which the laws of nature and of nature's god entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the change. We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal and independent;...

Prosecutors: Jefferson's wife hid bribesPublished: June 30, 2009 at 3:59 PM ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 30 (UPI) -- A firm owned by the wife of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., earned thousands of dollars but incurred no business expenses, an accountant said. Jack Swetland, a New Orleans accountant who had worked with the Jeffersons since 1982, testified Monday at William Jefferson's bribery and fraud trial in Alexandria, Va., The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Tuesday. Prosecutors allege Andrea Jefferson's ANJ consulting firm was a shell company that accepted payments from companies who had sought William Jefferson's help in brokering deals in...

The New Culture of CorruptionDemocrats step up their corruption game By ROBERT A. GEORGE Updated 7:45 PM EDT, Fri, Jun 26, 2009 New joke going around Washington: "Republicans hike the Appalachian Trail; Democrats hike your taxes. Either way, someone's getting screwed." As, the old saying goes -- some of the truest things are said in jest. Washington Republicans -- more in the minority than they have been in decades -- are somewhat haplessly hoping that the Democrats mess up their own policies, rather than figure out how to stop them themselves. So, in the meantime, they keep themselves busy by...

William Jefferson's activities cast as "official acts" by witnesses in corruption trialby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Friday June 26, 2009, 9:20 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- Prosecutors called five witnesses Friday they hope convinced jurors that former Rep. William Jefferson engaged in "official acts" to promote a telecommunications project in return for payments and promised payments they describe as bribes. The issue is critical to the government's corruption case against the New Orleans Democrat. Prosecutors contend Jefferson solicited payments and stock from iGate Inc., a telecommunications company, to the ANJ Group, a firm controlled by his wife, Andrea Jefferson, in return...

iGate exec says he feared retribution during William Jefferson corruption trial testimonyby Bruce Alpert and Jonathan Tilove, The Times-Picayune Tuesday June 23, 2009, 9:51 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- Ending his five days of testimony Tuesday, a Kentucky telecommunications executive said he feared ending an arrangement in which he provided payments and stock to a company controlled by former Rep. William Jefferson's wife because he had read what happened to a college administrator who tried to fire Andrea Jefferson from an academic post. **SNIP** Jefferson's lawyer Robert Trout, who said he hopes he doesn't have to take the time to disprove...

Judge impatient with pace in trial of former Rep. William Jeffersonby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Monday June 22, 2009, 12:13 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- The judge expressed some impatience this morning with the pace of the public corruption trial of former Rep. William Jefferson. **SNIP** Trout said the personal service agreement would show why Mody was unhappy with Jackson and Pfeffer, who also has pleaded guilty to paying bribes to Jefferson. He said it was significant that Mody initially made no allegations about Jefferson. Ellis appeared to disagree. "So what?" the judge said after the jury had been dismissed for...

Beginning this Friday through Aug. 1, the New York Public Library's Fifth Avenue branch will display one of only two surviving handwritten copies of the Declaration of Independence -- a window into our nation's history and the ulcer of Thomas Jefferson. The author had forwarded his finished draft on July 1, 1776, but a number of deletions, additions and changes were made to the text before its ratification July 4. Jefferson sent about six copies to friends, and, as seen here, he underlined passages that were changed to his annoyance. Here's a peek at the famous ode to freedom, with...

Jurors hear tapes in Jefferson trialBy GERARD SHIELDS Advocate Washington bureau Published: Jun 19, 2009 WASHINGTON – Jurors in the bribery trial of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson got their first chance Thursday to listen to secretly recorded government tapes that include Jefferson expressing worry about landing in the “pokey.” The 18-year congressman was upset when a Kentucky telecommunications business owner suggested that they get a new investor for a project the two were promoting in Africa. In one obscenity-laced statement, Jefferson was heard to say that the activities in which they were engaged could land them all in the...