William Jefferson, D-La.
Posted on 05/03/2006 10:42:53 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Kentucky businessman has pleaded guilty to bribing a member of the US House of Representatives in exchange for help exporting telecommunications equipment to Africa, the Justice Department said.
Vernon Jackson, 53, admitted to paying an unnamed Representative more than 400,000 dollars through a shell consulting company set up in the names of the politician's spouse and children.
CNN, citing government sources, reported that the unnamed lawmaker was Democratic Louisiana congressman William Jefferson.
In the plea, Jackson said the politician first helped him get his company's equipment on the US Army's list of approved products in 2000.
The politician then told Jackson that he would not help his company, iGate, any longer unless he began making monthly payments of 7,500 dollars to the shell company, according to the Justice Department.
The politician also requested five percent iGate's gross sales over five million dollars, five percent of capital investments obtained with help of the politician, and one million shares in the company, the plea agreement said.
After the politician helped Jackson win a contract with a Nigerian television company to provide internet technology for various projects in Africa, the politician asked for his share of the profits to increase to 35 percent of all projects in which he assisted.
Over the next few years other deals were arranged in Cameroon and Ghana.
Jackson faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 dollars. He has agreed to cooperate with an ongoing probe of public corruption related to telecommunications deals in Africa and elsewhere.
"Public corruption significantly undermines confidence in our government institutions," Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement.
"Those that pay bribes in return for favorable treatment, and public officials who corruptly trade on their office and line their own pockets do so at great risk, because we will pursue these cases relentlessly."
William Jefferson, D-La.
Culture of Corruption: Businessman Pleads to Bribing Congressman ^
Time to leave Pelosi a heartfelt little message.
Kentucky man pleads guilty to bribing lawmaker (Rat lawmaker) ^
LOL...I think she's got the message and it's named Jefferson.
j
IIRC this is the guy who commandeered a National Guard truck (or similar) to retrieve items from his house's safe after the hurricane.
I love hearing things like this. I can't wait 'til her office opens so I can call and leave a comment about democrat ethics problems.
William Jefferson (RAT-LA) downplays stop at his New Orleans house (used National Guard)
1/13/06
Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., 'perplexed' by aide's guilty plea; says he did no wrong
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1558512/posts
Rush had a lot of fun with this one.
William Jefferson - Democrat - Louisiana!
The AFP came right out and stated the criminal is a dim.
They are going to be so reprimanded by the rest of the lame stream for that.
"After the politician helped Jackson win a contract with a Nigerian television company to provide internet technology for various projects in Africa, the politician asked for his share of the profits to increase to 35 percent of all projects in which he assisted.
"Over the next few years other deals were arranged in Cameroon and Ghana."
Jefferson is certainly living up to his hyphenated designation as an "*African*-American".
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