Posted on 05/21/2006 6:16:59 AM PDT by QwertyKPH
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI officers raided a House of Representatives office building on Saturday night, and NBC television said it had searched the offices of Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed the unusual raid at the Rayburn House Office Building on Washington's Capitol Hill but would not say whose office was searched.
"Agents of the FBI's Washington field office executed a search warrant this evening at Rayburn at approximately 7:15," Debbie Weierman, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Washington field office, said.
Weierman said the search warrant was sealed and she could not confirm whose office was being searched.
But two lawmakers under investigation in separate bribery scandals have offices in the Rayburn building -- Jefferson and Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney.
Calls to Jefferson's and Ney's offices were not answered.
Jefferson has maintained his innocence, but a former staffer and a Kentucky businessman have pleaded guilty to bribing him in connection with an African telecommunications venture.
According to court records filed in the plea deal, Jefferson helped secure a deal with a Nigerian company called Netlink Digital Television and in return demanded payments to a company maintained in the name of his wife and children.
Ney has been named, although not charged, in a bribery scandal centered on former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to plying lawmakers with Super Bowl tickets, travel junkets and other gifts to win favors for his lobbying clients.
Ney's former chief of staff, Neil Volz, pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud and to violating a one-year ban on lobbying after leaving Ney's office in 2002 and joining Abramoff's lobbying firm.
Ney has maintained his innocence.
Where's the National Guard when I really need them?
Yea..
The Reuters headline omitted the words DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN!
Hmmm...could that be a mistake?????? (/sarc)
Isn't this the RAT that went back to N.O. to recover a boatload of cash stashed in a refrigerator?
Boy, I can hardly wait to hear Rush!
I hope the FBI looked in his office refrigerator.
Yessir, it's the same guy.
Let's be fair...... Whilst not in the headline, the first sentence is fair and prominent. Reuters didn't bury it.
I'm surprised its not on Drudge yet. I submitted a link, hopefully they get it posted soon.
Dear Sir,
Please excuse me if I seem opportune, but I am a member of the out of power party in the United States Congress. I can influence legislation affecting millions of dollars in telecommunications legislation, but I need a Nigerian partner to assist me in transferring the funds to accounts set up in the United States in the names of my family members.
You come highly recommended as an upstanding and respected member of the Nigerian telecommunications industry. Millions of dollars are available to you, if you could assist me in transferring these moneys to my family members.
Yeah I remember the stories. I don't know if there was ever confirmation of cash, yet reports last fall included some description of what he retrieved. I'll see if I can find more.....
Representative William Jefferson Democratic Louisiana.
Representative William Jefferson, Democrat, Louisiana
I would be suspicious that someone was fabricating bogus reports attributed to Reuters if they included the Democratic party affiliation of the Congressman in the headline.
What is truly astounding about this Reuters report is that the Democratic party affiliation of Rep. William Jefferson is included in the first sentence. However, note that the author of this report is unattributed in this release. That is probably done intentionally. Any good, little leftist reporter/editor at Reuters who prominently identifies a Democrat in a scandal investigation would be scorned by peers.
I hadn't thought of it that way. I looked for an author, no luck. What you're saying makes sense.
Tom Delay stepped down for what...........?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.