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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,...

City Lawmakers Rally Around Embattled Rep. RangelSep 13, 2009 10:04 am US/Eastern NEW YORK (CBS) - City lawmakers are rallying around Congressman Charles Rangel as the House Ethics Committee looks into his finances. Supporters say everyone needs to wait before passing judgment. There were dozens of voices Saturday, many of them local politicians, pleading for patience. "We ask for fairness," City Council member Inez Dickens said. "We want to expose the truth," councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito said. Many of the demonstrators were livid. "Leave Charlie the hell alone!" Reverend Reggie Williams, of the American Red Cross, said. All of the...

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...

Frank's wise investing eases stock stingPublished: June 22, 2009 at 11:25 AM WASHINGTON, June 22 (UPI) -- A conservative investment strategy helped shield Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., from being bruised by the battered stock market, his financial report indicates. Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, put his $896,000 investment portfolio largely in state and local municipal bonds, the Boston Globe reported after reviewing the financial disclosure reports of Frank and other lawmakers. "It's not just coincidence -- it's putting my money where my mouth is," said Frank, who has ripped Wall Street for risky financial behavior many blame...

RANGEL COP 'NIECE' EYED IN PERP BOOSTSECOND PROBE HITS PA POLICE LIEUTENANT By PHILIP MESSING Last updated: 5:17 am June 22, 2009 A Port Authority police lieutenant who officials believe is the niece of Rep. Charles Rangel helped spring a trio of suspected pot smugglers from jail -- just a month after trying to get a mentally ill, gun-toting Navy castoff on a flight out of JFK, The Post has learned. The Internal Affairs unit has now opened a second probe into Lt. Coretta Smith, a 15-year veteran who sources said came to the rescue of the suspects. They had...

Jefferson trial enters third day of testimonyBy GERARD SHIELDS Advocate Washington bureau Published: Jun 18, 2009 - UPDATED: 9:30 p.m. 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...

Pelosi vs. the CIA — who can we trust?by Earl Hiatt Jun 18, 2009 In recent weeks, there has been a standoff between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, and the CIA as to who is telling the truth about a 2002 briefing on interrogation techniques used by the United States on terror suspects. As Pelosi is a polished politician, we know she is adept at lying — although some might consider her a lone voice of reason in a sea of liars and thieves. (There is a joke about Pinocchio entering a lying contest but not winning....

Clarence Darrow Meets Clarence BirdseyeBy Dana Milbank Wednesday, June 17, 2009 "I almost think I should begin with a joke about cold cash or frozen assets," defense lawyer Robert Trout told the jury at the start of his opening statement yesterday. Probably a good instinct: Trout has little to lose. **SNIP** This left Trout little to work with. Could he say the pie crusts made his client flaky? Or might the Boca Burgers justify a health-food version of the Twinkie Defense? It nearly came to that. The money in the freezer? "He was leaving town for the month of August....

Key witness will not testify against former Rep. William Jeffersonby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Wednesday June 10, 2009, 5:26 PM ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- Lori Mody, the Virginia businesswoman who was expected to be the government's star witness in the federal corruption trial of former Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, will not be called to testify for the prosecution, lawyers said today. The judge was informed of the government's decision during a bench conference this morning that was not immediately made public. "We do not intend to call Lori Mody in our case in chief," lead prosecutor Mark Lytle said without...

Prosecutors get favorable ruling in William Jefferson caseby Bruce Alpert The Times-Picayune Tuesday May 26, 2009, 4:58 PM WASHINGTON -- Federal prosecutors will not be required as part of their bribery case against former Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, to prove he sought payments in return for decisions he made as a member of Congress, a judge ruled Tuesday. Judge T.S. Ellis III said "it is sufficient for the government to adduce proof, including expert testimony or evidence of defendant's admissions and conduct, that it was customary for members of Congress in defendant's position to exert influence -- by advice,...

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2009 – Military officials in Baghdad today identified a soldier who has been charged with shooting and killing five of his comrades yesterday at a combat stress center at Camp Liberty, Iraq. Army Sgt. John M. Russell, 44, of Sherman, Texas, is being held in military police custody at Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, and has been charged with five specifications of murder and one of aggravated assault, Army Maj. Hunter Holliday, a military spokesman in Baghdad, said. Russell is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 54th Engineer Battalion, based in Bamberg, Germany. Holliday said the...

When Attacking, Dodd Says Leave Wife AloneUpdated 12:45 PM EDT, Mon, May 11, 2009 We all know that politics leading up to the 2010 Senate race is going to be vicious. U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd is at his most vulnerable as election season nears, but his latest political fight is not for his seat - right now. It’s over his wife’s credentials after a Republican state leader attacked them last week. In an opinion-editorial in the Hartford Courant Sunday, Senator Dodd admitted to making mistakes and said he has been open and honest about them, but said this attack went...

GOP Has Eyes Fixed on DoddBy: Scott Benjamin 05/08/2009 State Republican Party Chairman Chris Healy said during an appearance in New Milford this week that U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-East Haddam) is in more political trouble in his 2010 re-election race than U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Stamford) was in 2006 when he lost the Democratic primary and had to win a fourth term running as an independent. "It relates to his personal conduct and issues of ethics," he said of Mr. Dodd, who has had to respond in recent months to charges that he and his wife, Jackie, received favoritism...

Rep. Barney Frank to visit LibraryBy Staff reports Fri May 08, 2009, 05:48 PM EDT Lakeville - Congressman Barney Frank will be visiting the Lakeville Library on Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m. for a meet-and-greet/coffee hour.

Patrick, Frank tour blighted New Bedford neighborhoodOfficials launch new program to rehab foreclosed homes By Steve Urbon March 16, 2009 1:07 PM NEW BEDFORD — A statewide response to part of the national; housing crisis was unveiled late this morning in a blighted neighborhood in the near North End by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Scott Lang. Accompanied by the city’s state legislators, the three took a 45-minute tour of the area of Beetle, Tallman and North Front streets, eyeing abandoned or foreclosed property as city officials detailed the difficulties involved in turning the situation...

Rep. Maxine Waters defends work with banksThe Los Angeles congresswoman denies having influence over Bush administration officials in the Treasury Department and the issuing of bailout funds to OneUnited Bank. By Richard Simon and E. Scott Reckard 11:11 AM PDT, March 13, 2009 Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington -- Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) today defended her efforts to help minority-owned banks -- including one with ties to her husband - survive the financial crisis, and scoffed at the notion that she could sway the Bush administration's actions. "Although both my supporters and detractors often refer to me as...

U.S. lawmaker to push repeal of online gambling ban Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:35pm EST By Doug Palmer WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Democratic lawmaker will push legislation this year to repeal a U.S. ban on Internet gambling that has hurt trade ties with the European Union, a congressional aide said. "The bill introduction should happen in the next month," a spokesman for House of Representatives Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank said. On Thursday, Reuters reported the EU could file a complaint about U.S. enforcement of the gambling ban at the World Trade Organization. "Mr. Frank will bring back...

Barney Frank predicts economic uptick by fallBy Joe Markman Fri Feb 20, 2009, 02:48 PM EST SCITUATE - The economy should see positive effects of the president’s stimulus package by the fall, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Newton, told a town hall-style meeting Thursday night. In a discussion of the national economy at Scituate High School, Frank compared the stimulus package that President Obama signed into law Tuesday to the New Deal. Frank also said Obama’s $75 billion mortgage relief plan will improve the economic situation by the fall. Speaking in a packed auditorium, Frank talked about financial regulation, limiting home...

Dodd plans book on his role in ‘trying to save’ U.S. economyBy Alex Wood Journal Inquirer Published: Friday, February 13, 2009 11:08 AM EST In an apparent effort to burnish an image that has been tarnished by the national financial crisis — and by an unusually favorable mortgage deal on his two homes — U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd is planning a book on the crisis and his role in dealing with it. The book, to be published in June, is titled “Thirteen Days: How the Financial Crisis Changed the Politics of Washington,” according to an announcement on the Web...

Deputy AG Nominee Pressed About His Private Practice ClientsDavid Ingram Legal Times February 6, 2009 Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee pressed Deputy Attorney General nominee David Ogden on Thursday to distance himself from the views of those he represented in private practice, reviving a debate over how much senators should weigh a nominee's choice of clients. The issue is especially prominent for Ogden because, as a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, he has often represented controversial clients in high-profile appellate cases. In contrast to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., whose work at Covington & Burling the...

Rangel’s Financial Disclosures Omitted Data Over 30 Years, a Report SaysBy DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI Published: February 4, 2009 Representative Charles B. Rangel’s financial disclosure forms had at least 28 omissions in the past 30 years and failed to account for what became of more than $239,000 in assets, according to a report issued Wednesday by a private government-ethics group. Despite Congressional rules that require members to list the purchase or sale of any assets, Mr. Rangel accumulated from $239,026 to $831,000 in assets that were not listed in subsequent reports, according to the report by the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan group...

US Treasury slammed over handling of financial bailout2009-01-09 WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US congressional panel sharply criticized the Treasury for its handling of a 700 billion financial bailout fund, as lawmakers moved to demand more transparency and accountability. The panel tasked with scrutinizing the operations of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) said it was in the dark about how some ailing banks that received swift cash infusions were using the aid money. It also questioned the Treasury's basic strategy of using the public funds and apparent failure to ease the home mortgage crisis at the epicenter of the global...

Link only - Ex-Weight Watchers worker gets 10 years for stealing nearly $1M

Link only - Democrats must break with Rangel

RANGEL DOUBLE-DEAL$REAPED DC HOME PERK WHILE BENDING APPLE RENTAL RULES By ISABEL VINCENT and JILL CULORA Last updated: 1:16 am November 23, 2008 Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel took a "homestead" tax break on a Washington, DC, house for years while simultaneously occupying multiple rent-stabilized apartments in New York City, possibly violating laws and regulations in both cases. The situation raises a number of potential problems for the congressman, including: * New York City law requires that tenants use rent-stabilized apartments as their primary residence. * DC's real Property Homestead Deduction Act also requires that a property receiving the benefit be...

TRACY— A 19-year-old man told police that he was shot early Sunday while trying to steal pumpkins from a field in rural Tracy, San Joaquin County Sheriff's deputies said. The man told deputies that he was at a pumpkin patch in the 16800 block of South Tracy Boulevard with two other people when they entered the field about 1 a.m. to steal pumpkins, Deputy Les Garcia said. They apparently heard gunshots, and all three returned to their car, a black Lincoln Navigator. As they were driving away, four shots were fired at the vehicle, striking the 19-year-old in the back,...

SPITZ WILL TALK DIRTY TO PANELLast updated: 3:51 am July 14, 2008 Fredric Dicker DISGRACED former Gov. Eliot Spitzer will be subpoenaed within weeks to give his first public testimony in the Dirty Tricks Scandal if, as expected, a state commission charges his former aide Darren Dopp with violating state law. Dopp lawyer Michael Koenig, a former federal prosecutor, has concluded Spitzer's testimony would be crucial to back up his client's claim that the former governor gave the go-ahead for every step in the plot that used the State Police to gather purportedly damaging information on now-former Senate Majority Leader...

Easleys took lovely trips abroad; we got the billBy Scott Sexton | Journal Columnist Published: July 3, 2008 It's a rhetorical question with an obvious answer, but one that nonetheless bears asking in light of Gov. Mike "Tax Hike" Easley's lame attempt at explaining the extravagant (and taxpayer-borne) costs of overseas junkets that he and first lady Mary Easley enjoyed. Who is dumber, a European restaurateur who tries to sell a cheeseburger and onion rings combo for $60 or the rube from Brunswick County who pays $60 for it? Hmmm. Yet Easley used that very example in a news conference...

Albany DA to release Spitzer, aides testimony in probePosted at: 06/06/2008 04:46:53 PM Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares says he will release the secret testimony of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer and his top aides in the dirty tricks probe that consumed much of Spitzer's abbreviated term. Soares will release thousands of pages of documents sought by several news organizations after the material is reviewed according to county policy. The testimony could show how involved Spitzer was in the work of two staffers who collected state police travel logs that showed Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno - Spitzer's adversary...

Woman pleads guilty in Spitzer call girl scandalBy The Associated Press Wednesday, June 4, 2008 11:38 AM EDT NEW YORK - A woman accused of helping run the prostitution ring patronized by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to violate federal prostitution laws. Prosecutors say Cecil Suwal, 23, ran the day-to-day operations of the Emperors Club V.I.P. escort service, which charged clients up to $5,500 an hour for the services of its women. Suwal was accused of supervising the company's booking agents, paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars to prostitutes and controlling shell companies used to...

50 Cent's mansion goes up in smokeLast Updated: 30 May 2008 10:24 PM A "suspicious" fire has burned down a multimillion-dollar home owned by rapper 50 Cent. Arson squad investigators were on the scene of the blaze which injured six people. A lawyer for the Grammy-nominated rapper's former girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins, said the woman lived in the Long Island house with two of her children. A fire service spokesman said all six people were taken to hospital where they are in a stable condition after suffering smoke inhalation. Earlier this year, Tompkins filed a lawsuit against 50 Cent, whose real...

Former Loveland Teacher Sentenced For Sex AssaultMay 28, 2008 3:37 pm US/Mountain FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) A former social studies teacher at a Loveland middle school is being ordered to spend one year behind bars and 10 years on probation for sexually assaulting an underage girl. Larimer County District Judge James Hiatt handed down the sentence Tuesday to 42-year-old Michael Gaylor. The former Walt Clark Middle School teacher apologized in court, saying he took advantage of his position without any regard for the girl. He said he took the victim's innocence, and called his former students victims, saying they'll "forever...

Waiver Is Sought on Claims of SpitzerBy DANNY HAKIM Published: March 26, 2008 ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson has been asked by the Albany County district attorney, P. David Soares, to allow the district attorney to make public the findings in his latest investigation of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s administration. **SNIP** One of the waivers the district attorney is seeking relates to e-mail messages and other material that Mr. Spitzer’s office turned over in response to a grand jury subpoena, an unusual move given the secrecy surrounding such proceedings. The executive branch would also need to consider what precedent...

Way cleared for Congressman Jefferson's appealby Bruce Alpert, The Times-Picayune Friday March 21, 2008, 7:54 AM WASHINGTON -- A judge's ruling Thursday should restart the stalled legal proceedings in Rep. William Jefferson's efforts to have a federal appeals court throw out 14 of 16 criminal charges against him. The ruling by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III about grand jury documents is likely to free the Justice Department to ask the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., for expedited consideration of the New Orleans Democrat's appeal and allow that court to set dates for the filings of briefs...

Civil suit in iGate case is delayedASSOCIATED PRESS Posted on Tue, Feb. 26, 2008 LOUISVILLE --The civil case against an indicted Louisiana congressman and a former business associate was delayed Monday until the criminal case against the lawmaker is over. U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson halted proceedings against Democratic U.S. Rep. William Jefferson; his wife; and Vernon Jackson, former chief executive of the Louisville-based telecommunications firm iGate. Simpson said little could be done to advance the case while the criminal charges are pending. Jefferson's criminal trial on racketeering and other charges was scheduled to begin Monday in Alexandria, Va., but...

La. Rep. Jefferson appeals judge's ruling; trial to be delayedAssociated Press - February 20, 2008 6:24 PM ET McLEAN, Va. (AP) - The trial of Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson, who's charged with bribery, will be delayed so an appellate court can hear arguments on whether his status as a congressman protects him from prosecution. Jefferson's trial was scheduled to start Monday. Defense lawyers filed their appeal today in federal court in Alexandria. The appeal had been expected since earlier this month, when U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis the Third rejected the argument that the 16-count indictment should be tossed because...

Jefferson strategies may be incompatible One defense Rep. William Jefferson has mounted to contest federal bribery charges against him might be undermining another defense he has raised. Jefferson contends he shouldn't be charged with public bribery because he never performed "official acts," such as voting or introducing legislation, to promote business ventures in Africa. He also has tried to get the bribery charges thrown out by saying the grand jury that indicted him in June heard details of his legislative activities in violation of the Constitution's "speech or debate" clause. But in a written ruling last week, U.S. District Judge...

Judge refuses to toss out indictment against La. congressman2/6/2008, 6:07 p.m. CST The Associated Press ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A judge has refused to toss out an indictment against a Louisiana congressman accused of taking bribes, rejecting the argument that the indictment unconstitutionally infringed on his privileges as a congressman. The ruling Wednesday could prompt a delay in the trial of Rep. William Jefferson, D-Louisiana, who faces up to 235 years in prison on bribery and other charges. According to court papers, defense lawyers have indicated they will likely appeal the ruling. Normally defendants are only allowed to appeal such...

Watchdogs hit Jefferson on ‘blood diamond’ tripsBy Susan Crabtree Posted: 01/23/08 12:01 AM [ET] Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), who is fighting a wide array of corruption and bribery charges, violated House ethics rules in failing to report three trips to Botswana aimed at convincing him to oppose limits on “blood diamond” imports into the U.S., according to ethics experts. Jefferson, whose name recently turned up in the prosecution of a former diamond executive in Botswana, took four trips to that country beginning with a 2001 trip sponsored by the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower in April 2001. Jefferson...

Jefferson linked to Africa diamonds caseBy CAIN BURDEAU Associated Press Writer NEW ORLEANS --Rep. William Jefferson, facing a federal trial on corruption charges, has been linked to the prosecution of a former diamond executive in Botswana, opening a new window onto the congressman's dealings in Africa. The New Orleans Democrat and his family allegedly were the recipients of illegally funded trips to Botswana in 2001 and 2002, according to charges Botswanan prosecutors have filed against the former director of the Debswana Diamond Co. Ltd., a partnership between diamond giant De Beers SA and the Botswana government. Jefferson has not been...

Botswana: Senator Jefferson Graces Nchindo Charge SheetMmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone) 10 January 2008 Posted to the web 10 January 2008 Tshireletso Motlogelwa The embattled United States Senator, William Jefferson has turned up in the charge sheet brought by the prosecution against former Debswana chief executive, Louis Nchindo and other senior members of the company. Jefferson, who late last year was served with a 95 page long indictment by the US department of justice on a wide range of criminal charges relating to his various trips to Africa, visited Botswana a few years ago on two occasions. Late last year, the media...

Knife thief runs from store, trips, stabs self(Xinhua) Updated: 2008-01-09 20:52 BEIJING -- A man running from a western Michigan store with stolen hunting knives hidden in his pants tripped, fell and stabbed himself in the stomach, police say. The suspect was hospitalized after Monday night's attempted theft from a Meijer Inc. superstore in the US city of Grand Rapids and is expected to face a misdemeanor shoplifting charge, police say. "The man was taken to the hospital," said Meijer spokesman Frank Giuliano. "We are cooperating with the investigation by police." The wounds did not appear to be life-threatening, The...

Feds spell out names in graft caseJefferson's wife, brother and son-in-law listed Tuesday, January 08, 2008 By Bruce Alpert WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department is for the first time disclosing the names of business executives and family members it says are connected to the public corruption case against Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans. **SNIP** Among the allegations in the Justice Department's brief: -- The congressman's son-in-law Philip Jones had a 2003 contract for 5 percent of each $7 million garbage-to-energy incinerator he helped LETH Energy, now Global Environmental Inc., sell in Nigeria. Jones' agreement called for him to provide the...

Jefferson's help had a price, feds sayPair expected to testify on incinerator firm Monday, December 24, 2007 By Bruce Alpert WASHINGTON -- He is a former aide to the late Sen. Russell Long, D-La., who became an energy lobbyist. She is a Florida businesswoman who has invested in a number of struggling businesses with potential for big profits. What James Creaghan and Noreen Wilson have in common, according to the Justice Department, is a reliance on U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, to help win contracts in western Africa. The government says that in return for that help, the congressman...

THE omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress Wednesday contains $1 million in earmarks requested by Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), who is under federal criminal indictment for racketeering, money laundering and solicitation of bribes. Jefferson got a $500,000 earmark to finance bus facilities for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority and another $500,000 earmark for speed-rail corridors crossings in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Agent: FBI had questions about Jefferson since 1990s ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The FBI had information about potentially shady business deals involving a Louisiana congressman going back the late 1990s _ at least eight years before he was indicted for taking bribes, an FBI agent testified Thursday. FBI agent Timothy Thibault said during a pretrial hearing at U.S. District Court that he found a bureau document from the late 1990s questioning Rep. William Jefferson's business deals with a sugar company. It was not immediately clear what investigation, if any, occurred at the time. Jefferson, a Democrat from New Orleans, was indicted...

Judge rejects La. congressman's motionBy MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press Writer Posted on Fri, Nov. 30, 2007 ALEXANDRIA, Va. --A federal judge Friday rejected an attempt by a Louisiana congressman charged with taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to move his trial out of northern Virginia. Rep. William J. Jefferson, D-La., had argued that the government unfairly brought charges against him in suburban Alexandria rather than the District of Columbia because it wanted a venue where fewer blacks are in the jury pool. Jefferson, who represents much of New Orleans, is black. Prosecutors contend that northern Virginia is an...

Prosecutors say Jefferson used CBC position in schemeBy Susan Crabtree November 20, 2007 Federal prosecutors are accusing Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) of using his position as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to further an additional bribery scheme that was not previously disclosed. Prosecutors allege Jefferson wrote to a NASA administrator on Congressional Black Caucus Foundation letterhead to ask that it consider doing business with a U.S. rocket technology company. In a seven-page document filed last week in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, prosecutors said Jefferson recommended that NASA give “close consideration” to the company, which allegedly agreed to...

Jefferson tries to get case thrown outBy: John Bresnahan Nov 12, 2007 07:35 PM EST Jefferson has been indicted on a litany of federal charges, including bribery. Photo: AP Who says lawyers aren’t creative? Attorneys for indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) are citing new Senate legislation designed to make it easier to prosecute corrupt pols as a reason to throw out parts of the bribery and corruption case against the lawmaker. Jefferson has been indicted on a litany of federal charges, including bribery, in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. His trial is set to start in mid-January, but...

Jefferson attorneys request to use names Attorneys for Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, are asking Virginia District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III to give them permission to refer to the real names of business executives and Nigerian leaders alluded to in the Justice Department's 16-count indictment of the congressman by pseudonyms such as "Businessperson A," "Businessperson DEF," "Nigerian Official A" and other similar references. Many of the names have already been deciphered through a government list of unindicted co-conspirators and there's no longer any reason for secrecy because the grand jury investigating the congressman has returned its indictment, Jefferson's attorneys...