Anyone else besides me see a resemblance?
(Whether balding head *or* allegations of wrongdoing?)
Cheers!
Posted on 07/04/2007 6:34:54 AM PDT by Libloather
Jefferson linked to BR sugar company
By GERARD SHIELDS
Advocate Washington bureau
Published: Jul 3, 2007 - Page: 1A
WASHINGTON — Baton Rouge-based Arkel Sugar was the subject of two 2001 meetings between federal Export-Import Bank officials and U.S. Rep. William Jefferson or one of his aides about a sugar plant in Nigeria, bank officials have confirmed.
Jefferson, a New Orleans Democrat, was indicted June 4 on a wide range of public corruption charges, including that he solicited bribes from companies wanting to do business in Nigeria. Jefferson has pleaded innocent to the 16 counts.
The indictment accuses him of trying to help two companies with bank accounts in Baton Rouge develop a sugar factory in return for payments. The indictment does not name Arkel Sugar, nor does it accuse the Louisiana companies, identified only as “D” and “E,” of any wrongdoing.
But in response to a request by The Advocate, a public information officer for the Export-Import Bank of the United States said Arkel Sugar was the subject of meetings on Feb. 13 and May 1 in 2001 about financing a sugar plant in Jigawa State, Nigeria.
Those are the same dates on which the indictment says the president of Company E met with Jefferson or one of his aides and the Export-Import Bank about U.S. government financing of the proposed sugar plant.
Arkel officials could not be reached for comment. Numerous calls and an e-mail sent to Arkel International’s headquarters and officers were not returned.
According to Louisiana corporation records, Homer Knost is chairman of Arkel International and the registered agent of Arkel Sugar. Arkel Sugar and Arkel International list the same address — 1048 Florida Blvd. — in their state corporation records.
Arkel International built the world’s largest sugar refinery in Sudan and a $500 million sugar mill in Kenya, according to the company’s Web site. The site also touts Arkel International’s work providing logistics and camps for businesses in Iraq and temporary housing for people whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
An Export-Import Bank spokesman said the bank did not do any business with Jefferson beyond talks.
“We did not do any deals that he was involved in,” spokesman Phil Cogan said. “But it’s not unusual for a member of Congress to weigh in on a project.”
A report by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission states that in June 2006, the U.S. Justice Department asked government officials in Nigeria for any documents or information on Arkel Sugar and Arkel International. The Nigerian government created the commission to investigate, prosecute and penalize economic and financial crimes in the country.
Arkel Sugar and Arkel International were on a list of 30 individuals or companies that Justice Department officials identified, including Jefferson and his relatives. The 2006 report simply noted that a request for information had been made.
Though not naming the Louisiana companies, the Jefferson indictment describes a close relationship between them.
Company E received contract payments from Nigeria, but Company D provided money to Jefferson’s company. The indictment states that the vice president of Company D helped control Company E.
Several months before the first meeting about Arkel Sugar with the Export-Import Bank, Jefferson introduced the vice president of Company D to a high-ranking Nigerian official, the indictment says. The purpose of the Baton Rouge meeting was to land a contract to build a sugar plant.
With Jefferson’s help, Company E received an $8 million feasibility and engineering contract with a Nigerian sugar company, the indictment says. In exchange for his help, Jefferson arranged to be paid 3 percent to 5 percent of the contract price through a company he set up, the indictment says.
Jefferson later met with the president of the Export-Import Bank, Company E’s president and a high-ranking Nigerian official to promote U.S. government financing of the sugar factory, the indictment says.
Jefferson is accused of helping Company E get $533,841 wired from a Nigerian bank account to Baton Rouge for the sugar factory project over two years. In return, Jefferson’s company was paid $21,352, the indictment says.
The payments solicited by Jefferson constituted bribery, racketeering and mail fraud, prosecutors say.
Jefferson is also accused of asking the two Louisiana companies for a commission of 4 percent to 10 percent of the contract price for developing “an Agro-Industrial Complex” in Nigeria.
Jefferson also told Company D that before he would help it win contracts for the rights to drill marginal oil fields in Nigeria, his brother would have to be compensated, the indictment says.
Mose Jefferson — who the indictment says received payments from the Louisiana companies in several of the deals — has not been charged with a crime. Two calls placed to his New Orleans residence were not returned.
Federal Election Commission records show George Knost III, who is listed in state corporation records as manager of Arkel International, has contributed $3,500 to the Jefferson election campaign since 2001.
William Jefferson’s attorney, Robert Trout, could not be reached for comment. Two messages left at his office were not returned.
Federal prosecutors involved in the case declined to comment.
To read the Jefferson indictment, go to http://media.2theadvocate.com/documents/jeffersonindictment.pdf.
WASHINGTON -- Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, agreed Monday to let the government seize his congressional retirement savings if he is convicted of federal bribery, fraud and racketeering charges.
**SNIP**
The agreement puts further financial pressure on the congressman who complained last month after the indictment that the government is trying to "break" him, psychologically and financially.
As part of its indictment, the Department of Justice put the congressman on notice that it would seek to reclaim $478,153 in what it said were bribes paid to companies controlled by the Jefferson family. The largest portion was $456,800 paid to the ANJ Group LLC, a company that listed Jefferson's wife, Andrea, as manager.
But assets already identified by the government "are insufficient to fully discharge the forfeiture liability Defendant Jefferson may have should he be convicted of all charges," according to a document filed Monday by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lytle.
As a result, the government is seeking additional Jefferson assets. If convicted, Jefferson agreed to hand over up to $385,000 held in his congressional retirement account, known as the federal Thrift Savings Plan, and as much as $71,800 of the proceeds from the 1990 buyout of his share of his former law firm.
Its unclear how much the nine-term congressman has invested in his retirement account, but his stake in the law firm, once known as Jefferson Bryan & Jupiter, is valued at between $250,001 and $500,000 in House financial disclosure forms.
**SNIP**
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/washington/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1183444852299320.xml&coll=1
Anyone else besides me see a resemblance?
(Whether balding head *or* allegations of wrongdoing?)
Cheers!
It’s okay, he’s a Black guy.
How do you like it now, Denny, that you lost your job to a bug-eyed POS like Pelosi?
I have this to say Jefferson isnt smart enough to come up with all these idea’s on his own. he was probably taught by a former or present Delegate or Senator who knows the ends and outs of bribes and payments to relatives.
I would bet that there are several more in the house and senate who are just as guilty of these same acts as Jefferson and havent been caught yet.
WOW! Men and women have died in battle for this great nation to allow this POS to get elected. DISGUSTING.
This is what is being elected to Congress.
" Look, I had $90 large ones in my freezer because, as a compassionate Democrat, I was helping out a distinguished foreign dignitary."
"What happened was I got an email from Nigerian General Kachinga Cheatchusuckah who had a problem."
"Now, once Gen Cheatchusuckah transfers Idi Amin's secret Ugandan gold
reserves from the Swiss bank vault to a refrigerated truck I leased..........."
Will never call for an ethics investigation of this sweet heart deal!
I’m going to post a quite non-pc response.
One that may get yanked, even get me banned.
Here’s the skinny. Jefferson is black, yet is a victim, while 90 large, oh, so allegedly is stored in his freezer.
I’ll spell it out, bullshit.
Hey Jefferson, the shade of your epidermal layer does not make a tinker’s damn in a court of law.
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