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There was a strange mixture of stalwart support and utter abandonment at U.S. Rep. William Jefferson's election party Saturday night as the indicted congressman claimed a primary victory in his 10th election campaign for the 2nd District seat. The party was at Flavorz by Mattie, a little-known restaurant in an eastern New Orleans neighborhood ravaged by the post-Katrina jack-o'-lantern effect. The room was half empty, with only about 35 supporters and family cheering on Jefferson and eating a late dinner of jambalaya and croissant sandwiches. There were no big political names in the crowd. Supporters appeared to be outnumbered by...

NEW ORLEANS – A 28-year political career was on the line Saturday for indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, who is fighting bribery charges as he tries to fend off six Democrats in the primary for his New Orleans-based congressional seat. No one was expecting Jefferson or any of the other six candidates to garner the majority needed to win the nomination outright. Jefferson, seeking his 10th term, hoped to survive by taking either first or second place and moving on to a Nov. 4 runoff. A victory then would put him in a Dec. 6 general election in the heavily...

Sentencing postponed for Congressman Bill Jefferson's sister by The Associated Press Wednesday August 27, 2008, 8:38 AM **SNIP** Brenda Jefferson, the youngest sister of Bill Jefferson, pleaded guilty in June to helping three of her relatives conceal an alleged scheme to pocket more than $600,000 in state and federal grant money. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon agreed to reschedule Brenda Jefferson's sentencing from September 24 to February 11. She pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. Prosecutors said they need more time to evaluate her cooperation in the case against her sister, New Orleans tax assessor Betty Jefferson;...

Candidate for Jefferson seat still off ballot NEW ORLEANS -- A judge's order that New Orleans school boardmember Jimmy Fahrenholtz cannot run for Congress in the September 6 Democratic primary will stand for the time being. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal turned down requests to block the order as well as a request for a quick hearing. Thomas Robichaux, an attorney for Farhenholtz, said he plans an appeal this week to the U.S. Supreme Court to get Fahrenholtz on the ballot. **SNIP** But a judge disqualified him for falsely stating that he did not owe campaign finance fines...

WASHINGTON, August 8 - Panelists and the moderator of a panel at the Young America’s Foundation national conservative student conference on Thursday decried the old media’s reluctance to continue to keep Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., and Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., under the microscope for alleged ethical lapses. Moderator Jason Mattera, of Young America’s Foundation, and panelists Kathryn Lopez of National Review Online, Mary Katherine Ham of Washington Examiner, and A.J. Rice of Talk Radio Network decried what they view as mainstream liberal bias for not giving adequate press coverage of Murtha and Jefferson. They were speaking on a panel, “Promoting...

Dollar Bill Jefferson who allegedly had $90,000 of bribe money in cold hard cash in his freezer was confronted by Hot Air and the YAF. All the interviewer wanted to know was which product Dollar Bill preferred ZipLock or Hefty Bags. Jefferson has no sense of humor.

3 Jefferson relatives plead innocent Three relatives of indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., have pleaded innocent to charges they ripped off three charities they founded. Mose Jefferson; his sister, 4th District Assessor Betty Jefferson; and her daughter, Angela Coleman all entered pleas at an arraignment hearing Friday, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported. They are accused of skimming more than $600,000 from three non-profit groups. U.S. Magistrate Louis Moore told the trio to avoid any contact with Brenda Foster, who pleaded guilty Wednesday. Foster, who also goes by the name Brenda Jefferson, is a sibling of the congressman, as well...

One of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson's sisters pleaded guilty Wednesday to concealing a crime for her role in alleged scheme to defraud the federal government. Brenda Jefferson, 52, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. Prosecutors have charged three other Jefferson family members with pocketing more than $600,000 in state and federal grant money intended for charitable and educational projects. New Orleans tax assessor Betty Jefferson, her brother, Mose Jefferson, and her daughter, Angela Coleman, are scheduled to appear in court Friday on charges that include federal program fraud, identity theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Brenda Jefferson, also...

William Jefferson the Democrat Congressman from New Orleans with a Federal Indictment hanging over his head has relatives with similar problems. His 52 year old sister, Brenda Jefferson plead guilty to misprision of a felony on Wednesday. She received over $85,000 for clerical work for several family members accused of defrauding a federal government program

Another alleged Democrat Party felon is trying to hold on to any power he has left in Washington. New Orleans congressman William Jefferson(D-New Orleans) who is facing trial on federal corruption charges will seek re-election to a 10th term. In a news release on Tuesday, Democrat William Jefferson touted his experience and portrayed himself as a person who still has power in Congress despite his indictment in the corruption case.

Louisiana: Indicted Lawmaker to Run for Re-electionBy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: June 18, 2008 Representative William J. Jefferson, a Democrat facing trial on corruption charges, has announced that he will seek re-election to a 10th term. Mr. Jefferson made his announcement in a news release that emphasized his experience and portrayed him as someone who still wielded power in Congress despite the case against him. The last time he ran for re-election was in 2006. The corruption accusations were a persistent problem for him then, but he overcame the odds and won in a landslide. He has since been indicted,...

WASHINGTON – House leaders are doing well financially during this economic slump. Their lucrative investments and, in many cases, well-compensated spouses supplement their House salaries. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., one of the wealthiest members of Congress, and her real estate-magnate husband Paul Pelosi spent between $1 million and $5 million to buy the home they'd been living in on San Francisco's Broadway. They also own a vineyard in St. Helena, Calif., worth between $5 million and $25 million and a town house in Norden, Calif., valued between $1 million and $5 million, according to annual financial disclosures released Monday. The...

Jefferson trial set to start Dec. 2Judge stands firm on Virginia venue Saturday, June 14, 2008 By Bruce Alpert ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III set a Dec. 2 trial date Friday in the federal corruption case of Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, although the judge admitted that it could be delayed again. **SNIP** A December start means the trial would occur after the fall congressional elections. Jefferson hasn't said whether he's running for a 10th term. In an interview earlier this week, Jefferson said he never announces in advance of qualifying and that his lack of...

WASHINGTON -- On a day that Sen. Barack Obama moved closer to clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, embattled Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, Tuesday became the first of Louisiana's four Democratic congressional members to back his candidacy. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is expected to join 14 other uncommitted Democratic senators today in announcing support for Obama. -snip-

Relatives of a U.S. congressman indicted on charges of bribery, fraud, and racketeering, have been charged with using charities for personal financial gain, reports the Associated Press The sister, brother, and niece of U.S. Representative William Jefferson, a Democrat from Louisiana, have been charged with conspiracy and fraud. Mr. Jefferson’s sister, Betty Jefferson, an elected New Orleans property-tax assessor; his brother Mose Jefferson; and Betty Jefferson’s daughter, Angela Coleman, are accused of stealing as much $620,000 from charities that were supposed to benefit poor people. They each face up to more than 200 years in prison. Mr. Jefferson has been...

Barack Obama earned the endorsement of William Jefferson of New Orleans. That’s quite a feather in Obama’s hat. One of the most corrupt Democrat politicians in modern history gave Barack the thumbs up.

31-count indictment says they bilked charities for years Feds allege they took money aimed at black youth programs New Orleans 4th District Assessor Betty Jefferson, an elder sister of indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, conspired with other family members to plunder more than $600,000 in taxpayer money from three charities they founded and controlled that were supposed to help inner-city youths, alleges a 31-count federal indictment handed up Wednesday. Mose Jefferson, brother to the congressman and the assessor, also was charged Wednesday, as was Angela Coleman, Betty Jefferson's daughter. The latest round of charges adds to a growing federal docket...

William Jefferson's brother, sister, and niece indicted The brother, sister and niece of indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) were indicted themselves today for allegedly skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars from non-profit groups they controlled, according to the Associated Press. "U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said the family members used several non-profit and for-profit companies to obtain grants designed to help pregnant teens, at-risk youths and others in need of assistance. They allegedly deposited some of the grant money into personal checking accounts and used it for personal expenses." the AP reported. "A federal grand jury indicted New Orleans tax assessor...

A federal judge has refused to dismiss bribery charges against Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.). Jefferson is accused of orchestrating a complicated, and multi-layered scheme to receive bribes from companies seeking business in Western Africa. Proving bribery against a lawmaker is difficult because prosecutors must show that the defendant provided an “official act” such as a voting a certain way or sponsoring legislation in return for money or items he received. His lawyers argued that Jefferson didn’t do anything in his capacity as a congressman that could be considered a bribe. U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III turned that legal...

Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-La.) lawyers have asked a federal judge to reconsider a ruling denying a change of venue for his corruption trial. The attorneys want to make their case for the venue transfer on June 13 before Virginia District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III. They argue that the case should be tried in Washington, D.C., because there likely will be fewer black jurors where the case is located now in Alexandria, Va. to evaluate the charges against Jefferson, who is black. Moreover, the lawyers contend, most of the alleged activities took place in Washington, D.C., not Northern Virginia. “The...

Just when the party needs them most, the Dems super-delegates are dropping like flies. First there was William Jefferson, followed by Eliot Spitzer, then Kwame Kilpatrick, and today, Anibal Acevedo-Vila. This morning’s announcement of the indictment of Puerto Rico’s governor along with twelve others, including prominent Philadelphia democratic fundraiser Robert Feldman, worries party faithful for more reasons than one. Governor Acevedo-Vila , “a Harvard educated attorney and politician,” who according to AP, “was elected governor in 2004 after campaigning on an anti-corruption platform,” just last month endorsed Senator Obama for president.But as WaPo’s the Trail points out: " The reach...

La. congressman's brother indicted By CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago The brother of indicted Congressman William Jefferson has been indicted on federal charges stemming from payoffs allegedly made to a former president of the New Orleans school board. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten says Wednesday that the indictment against Mose Jefferson includes charges of bribery and money laundering. Former school board President Ellenese Brooks-Simms already has pleaded guilty in the case. Last June she admitted taking about $140,000 in bribes. The Mose Jefferson case is not related to the corruption charges against his brother in the Washington area.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday refused to step into a high-stakes legal fight between the Justice Department and indicted Rep. William Jefferson over the unprecedented raid on the lawmaker's Capitol Hill office. The Justice Department said the court's action would not impede the bribery case against the Louisiana Democrat. The justices declined to review an appeals court ruling that said that, while the office search itself was legal, the FBI reviewed legislative documents in violation of the Constitution. Other documents seized in the raid were provided to prosecutors and were used to support a 16-count indictment of Jefferson...

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to step into a legal fight between the Justice Department and a member of Congress who has been indicted on bribery charges. The court declined to review an appeals court ruling that the FBI reviewed legislative documents in the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., in violation of the Constitution. Jefferson has pleaded not guilty to charges of soliciting more than $500,000 in bribes while using his office to broker business deals in Africa. His trial has been delayed indefinitely. While the Bush administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene, Attorney General Michael Mukasey...

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...

Mark Twain once remarked that “America has no native criminal class, except perhaps the Congress.” He was exaggerating, but not by too much. I’ve spend long years in Washington, and worked with many people in the government, both elected and appointed. I’ve observed two central problems: it is so easy, once you’re in a position of power, to casually reach out and line your pockets with the flood of cash that is always flowing by your door, The other problem is that Washington is inhabited by a large number of people who pulled out all the stops, and skated close...

NEW ORLEANS - During President Clinton's trip to Africa in 1998, Rep. William Jefferson joined the cadre of politicians, press advisers, trade experts and foreign diplomats aboard Air Force One. For the next 12 days, Jefferson was never far behind as the president strolled arm-in-arm with Nelson Mandela, mourned the human cost of the slave trade and bounced across the savannah in a safari car. A decade later, the trip looks increasingly like the starting point for a pattern of corruption Jefferson allegedly established during the expansion of African trade that followed Clinton's visit. "He was perceived as someone who...

Prison breakBy Bruce Alpert and Bill Walsh Sunday, February 24, 2008 Vernon Jackson and Brett Pfeffer, key figures in the federal prosecution of Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, were released recently from federal prison -- but it was only temporary. Their release from federal prison facilities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia was ordered so that they could testify at Jefferson's federal corruption trial. But with the trial, which had been scheduled to begin Monday, postponed while a federal appellate court considers an appeal of a pretrial ruling, from Jefferson's attorneys, it's likely they will be returned to their prison cells...

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...

Streisand pitches in as leaders write checks to defense fundsBy Susan Crabtree Posted: 02/04/08 06:38 PM [ET] For lawmakers faced with mounting legal bills, itÂ’s good to have friends in high places with deep pockets. Members of the leadership on both sides of the aisle cut checks to legally embattled House colleagues, and even Barbra Streisand contributed $1,000 to Rep. Jim McDermottÂ’s (D-Wash.) legal expense fund. Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), who will face trial late this month on an array of bribery and corruption charges, has collected a total of $166,550 since 2005 to help defray legal costs. Members of...

Jefferson nickname will be left out of trialProsecution won't call him 'Dollar Bill' Friday, February 01, 2008 By Bruce Alpert WASHINGTON -- The lead prosecutor in the government's corruption case against Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, says the government doesn't intend to mention the congressman's "Dollar Bill" nickname, used by his political enemies, unless the defense claims he is the "victim of entrapment or outrageous government conduct." The stipulation is in a letter from prosecutor Mark Lytle to Jefferson's lead attorney, Robert Trout, released Thursday by the Virginia federal court where Jefferson will face 16 bribery-related charges in a trial...

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...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A Louisiana congressman accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes told a judge Thursday that FBI agents who interviewed him back in 2005 were so overbearing that they even followed him into the bathroom of his own home. Testifying under oath for the first time in his bribery case, Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat, contradicted the testimony of FBI agents who said the August 2005 interview was cordial and friendly. Jefferson is seeking to suppress statements to FBI agents during the interview, as well as evidence seized from the home. Jefferson's lawyers argued that...

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...

FBI Used Deft Touch To Draw Out Congressman During Visit By BILL WALSH   FBI agents haul out boxes of files after a raid of the New Orleans home of Rep. William Jefferson on Aug. 3, 2005. (File photo by Ted Jackson)     WASHINGTON — When the FBI came calling at Rep. William Jefferson's house, they didn't bring a battering ram. They didn't need to. He opened the door right up and, according to the agents, welcomed them inside. The ensuing two-hour conversation and the subsequent daylong search of Jefferson's New Orleans home in August 2005 is the subject...

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.

(AP) -- WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to toss out a lower court ruling that says the FBI was wrong to raid Democratic Rep. William Jefferson's office, a decision the Bush administration argues will hinder corruption investigations of Congress. In an appeal filed this week, government lawyers said that only the nation's highest court can decide whether the 18-hour raid was an unconstitutional breach of congressional authority or a proper tactic in a lengthy corruption inquiry. "Only this court can resolve this important question," the Justice Department wrote in its 28-page appeal, filed Wednesday. "Until...

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...

Lawyers for Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), looking to suppress evidence from his trial on corruption charges, questioned federal agents in court Wednesday about their August 2005 search of his home. The lawyers argued that photographs taken by agents of correspondence between Jefferson, his brother and companies looking to invest in Africa shouldn’t be shown to a jury because they weren’t listed in the search warrant. Lisa Horner, the leader of the FBI search team, testified that photographing the documents, instead of seizing them, was the more conservative, and thus appropriate, approach. Federal prosecutors said that Jefferson tried to use the...

A federal judge has set the corruption case of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) for Feb. 25. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis reluctantly granted Jefferson's lawyer's request for a continuance. But he gave them an extra six weeks instead of the four months they sought. "You'll just have to get it done," Ellis said. The nine-term congressman is accused of taking more than $500,000 in bribes and demanding millions more for himself and his family members from 11 different companies interested in securing business contracts in Africa.

Jefferson attorneys oppose witness in corruption trialRetired judge would sway jury, they say Wednesday, December 12, 2007 By Bill Walsh WASHINGTON -- Attorneys for Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, are trying to block a former Democratic congressman who also served as a judge from testifying at Jefferson's public corruption trial. The defense team filed papers in federal court Tuesday seeking to keep Abner Mikva off the witness stand, saying his service as an appellate court judge would unduly influence the jury. "The government refers to him as " 'Judge Mikva' no less than six times," attorney Robert Trout protested in...

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...

A little-noticed aspect of an appellate court decision could sharply limit investigations of members of Congress and hamper ongoing corruption probes, the Justice Department said this week in a motion seeking an emergency stay of the ruling. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was handed down in August in the case of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), but its effects complicate other investigations, including those stemming from the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Justice Department lawyers said in their motion that the appellate ruling represents an "unprecedented expansion" of the "speech or debate"...

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...

Jazz Shaw at Middle Earth Journal noticed a story buried at the Washington Post regarding the biggest embarrassment in the House of Representatives, William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson. The man who commandeered a National Guard detachment to act as his personal moving company during Hurricane Katrina and who kept $90,000 in bribe money in his freezer had new allegations of corruption filed in federal court on Friday. These won't result in new criminal charges, but they do show how Dollar Bill liked to redistribute wealth from the rich to the Jeffersons: Federal prosecutors on Friday accused Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.)...

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...

Officials seek delay in Jefferson lawsuit The U.S. Justice Department asked a Kentucky judge last week to delay pretrial discovery in a civil suit brought by a stockholder in iGate Inc. against the company's CEO, Vernon Jackson; Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans; and the congressman's wife, Andrea. The lawsuit seeks damages for what plaintiff Daniel Cradle says were illegal actions by the three defendants that wiped out almost all the value of Cradle's iGate stock holdings. The government has indicted Jefferson, accusing him of obtaining payments and stock from Jackson, funneled through a New Orleans company headed by Andrea Jefferson,...