Unlike former Congressman Duke Cunningham–who is now serving time–recently-indicted New Orleans Congressman William Jefferson is not accused of putting earmarks into Congressional bills for companies that gave him things of value. Jefferson got no golden commodes or multi-million dollar yachts nor Jack Abramoff golfing trips to Scotland.
His family got some contracts to provide Internet services in Nigeria and other countries. And, in return, they… well, they provided Internet services. It’s kind of hard to make a case against a Congressman for a thing like that.
The U.S. Attorney (eager to keep his job by making a case against a Democrat?) was convinced Jefferson was doing bad stuff, but what?
So the U.S. Attorney decided to nail him the way 7 poor saps in Miami were nailed in that “major terrorist plot”–they took FBI money to participate in a plot the FBI dreamed up…something about blowing up a building in Chicago. These homeys were induced to take the money (with which they bought sneakers and other goodies for themselves) and they participated in conversations about blowing up that building, and they’re still in jail.
Ergo, the pizza-parlor owners in New York–FBI money, FBI plot, poor boys taking money that was lavished upon them and going with the flow, saying naughty things about blowing up the Pakistani ambassador with a shoulder-fired missile, which was never going to happen: they didn’t know the Pakistani ambassador from a pepperoni sausage and couldn’t have cared less, but what struggling entrepreneur is going to turn down $60,000 that falls from the sky?
The FBI scheme worked in those cases and others, so $90,000 was assembled, FBI undercover agents posing as businessmen gave it to Congressman William Jefferson to use as a bribe that was to be paid to the Vice-President of Nigeria, and Jefferson took the money.
And put it in his freezer.
He never bribed the vice-president of Nigeria, nor any other official.
Jeb Bush’s company did.
And the president of Nigeria gave Jeb a 1300-horse parade.
Nigeria borrowed money from the U.S. government to buy faulty pumps from MWI (Moving Water Incorporated.) Millions of these U.S. taxpayer dollars went into bribes for Nigerian officials. More millions went to Bush’s partner. Bush himself got $300,000 from a company he co-owned with the owner of MWI for work he never did. The rusty water pumps were delivered, but never used.
(The same company, MWI, delivered faulty water pumps to New Orleans under a huge contract. The pumps can’t function as promised, but the Corps of Engineers approved them anway. The corps, as well as MWI, are being investigated. )
(There’s also a Department of Justice investigation of the Bush-MWI deal with Nigeria, but that’s been going on for years with no end in sight.)
Justice moved swifter for Congressman Jefferson. He didn’t pay that bribe to the Nigerian vice-president. He took the FBI’s money and stashed it in his freezer. The FBI raided his Congressional offices and even Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert was outraged. It was the first time in the 250 year history of Congress that such a thing had happened. The FBI raided his home and found their marked money in his freezer. Talking points went out to the media and Jefferson was convicted by the networks. But not in court. Not yet. And, quite possibly, not ever.
Jefferson has already been convicted in the media, but don’t count on a conviction in court.
This has been a guest post by Randy Reynolds.
Loading ...