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Jefferson RAT-La trial enters third day of testimony (Billy Jeff worried about the “pokey.”)
2 The Advocate ^ | 6/18/09 | GERARD SHIELDS

Posted on 06/18/2009 8:41:27 PM PDT by Libloather

Jefferson trial enters third day of testimony
By 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 land them all in the “pokey.”

The tapes were played in the third day of testimony from the business owner, Vernon Jackson of iGate. Jackson and Jefferson were trying to secure a deal in Nigeria. Jackson became frustrated when the investor, Lori Mody, failed to pay $600,000 he was expecting. Jackson tells Jefferson on the phone that he found another investor to replace Mody.

On the tape, Jefferson gets angry, unleashing a profanity-laced tirade on Jackson, saying that he wanted to stay with Mody, who had agreed to pay $3.5 million in the deal.

In another profane passage, Jefferson noted that Mody put up money. “Lori isn’t stupid. She’s going to file suit,” Jefferson said.

Jefferson feared that a lawsuit would expose him in the deal, Jackson told the jury. Jackson has completed two years of a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty to bribing an elected official who he says is Jefferson.

The New Orleans Democrat, who lost reelection in November, has pleaded innocent to 16 public corruption charges including bribery, conspiracy, money laundering and racketeering. Prosecutors allege that he used his congressional influence to promote projects in West Africa in return for payments to companies operated by family members.

Attorneys for Jefferson say he acted as a private businessman in the arrangements and committed no “official acts” for the companies such as appropriating government money, voting or introducing legislation that could aid them.

Mody eventually approached the FBI after saying that she lost the $3.5 million in the deal. She became a cooperating witness and was the one who gave Jefferson $100,000 of marked FBI bills in a briefcase. Agents found $90,000 in his Washington home freezer during a raid in August 2005.

Jackson’s company developed a product that could transmit voice, data and video over copper telephone wire. Jackson said Thursday that a Nigerian business owner who was to partner with Mody alerted him that officials in the country were considering using a similar product from China.

In a taped call, Suleiman Yahyah of Rosecom calls Jackson in a panic telling him that Jefferson has to reach out to the then vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar. Abubakar governed communication issues in the country, including holding the final word over which projects moved forward, according to Jackson.

Abubakar has denied any wrongdoing.

“The congressman has to move in and move in fast,” Yahyah told Jackson.

Jackson relayed the concerns to Jefferson, who said he intended to meet with Abubakar when the vice president came to Washington on July 18, 2005. Jefferson said he would rather meet with Abubakar in person and warned Jackson about using the telephone to talk about the matters.

“It’s very hard to call to people on the phone about all these issues,” Jefferson said.

Jackson never said whether Jefferson held the meeting, which would have taken place two weeks before the raid. Prosecutors allege that it was Abubakar to whom Jefferson intended to give the $100,000 as a bribe.

Earlier in the week, Jackson said he paid a company owned by Jefferson’s wife, Andrea, $330,000 though she did no work for him. Under cross examination by Jefferson’s lead attorney, Robert Trout, Jackson acknowledged that the Jefferson raised $900,000 for the company by finding investors. The couple even gave Jackson $25,000 to meet his Christmas payroll, Jackson testified.

Jackson will remain on the witness stand under cross examination when the Alexandria, Va. trial continues on Monday.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: caption; coldcash; guilty; jefferson; looterjefferson; perp; trial
You just gotta love an artist rendering of a RAT on trial -


1 posted on 06/18/2009 8:41:28 PM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather

2 posted on 06/18/2009 9:02:08 PM PDT by 50mm (The US is doomed if we don't TARP - <s>Jorge Boosh</s><s>Juan McLame</s>LOL - Zero!)
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To: Libloather

Maybe he’ll find out why they call it “the pokey”...


3 posted on 06/18/2009 9:02:13 PM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 150 of our national holiday from reality.)
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To: Libloather
Good news but this is more interesting to me

ackson’s company developed a product that could transmit voice, data and video over copper telephone wire. Jackson said Thursday that a Nigerian business owner who was to partner with Mody alerted him that officials in the country were considering using a similar product from China. ...

4 posted on 06/18/2009 9:02:28 PM PDT by tubebender (Whom stole my tag line. Why! I ask, Why?)
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To: Libloather

Thanks for the post/


5 posted on 06/18/2009 9:06:26 PM PDT by Unicorn (Too many wimps around.)
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To: Libloather
The RAT pokey:


6 posted on 06/18/2009 9:14:04 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Gitmo detainees to Alcatraz!)
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To: 50mm; Liz; AT7Saluki; writer33

I still haven't stopped laughing...

7 posted on 06/18/2009 9:20:21 PM PDT by Libloather (Tea Totaler)
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To: Libloather

I think Willie and Looter are cousins, actually. LOL


8 posted on 06/18/2009 9:29:53 PM PDT by 50mm (I'm not arrogant! I am better than you!)
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To: Libloather

Since they are having the trial in DC, wouldn’t suprise me if he gets off with a hung jury!


9 posted on 06/18/2009 10:06:10 PM PDT by longhorn too
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To: Libloather

“Jackson’s company developed a product that could transmit voice, data and video over copper telephone wire.”

I seriously doubt they “developed” that, maybe copied it.

I did that back in the ‘90s, Intel and others have tried since.

Continuous phone cable was a piece of cake, we tried 120V AC powerline stuff, didn’t work - mostly radiation. Can’t get around the breaker box.


10 posted on 06/18/2009 10:47:12 PM PDT by Eagles2003
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