Affidavit: $90,000 found in congressman's freezer (Democrat Lousiana)

CNN.com ^ | May 21, 2006

[AmericanMade1776]

Federal agents searched the Capitol Hill office of a Louisiana congressman under investigation on bribery charges Sunday, while newly released court papers said agents found $90,000 in cash last year in his Washington home.

In a 95-page affidavit used to obtain a warrant for the office search, investigators stated that an August 2005 search of Democratic Rep. William Jefferson's home turned up the cash sum in a freezer.

The money was divided among various frozen food containers, according to the heavily redacted affidavit

[Pharmboy]

Hmmm...that's an awful lot of cold cash.

[johniegrad]

So what's the point? Doesn't everybody keep their spare change in the freezer? After all, I have known people that keep their deceased pets in the freezer and aren't they really worth more than all that money anyway? I just don't see what the fuss is here.

[AmericanMade1776]

Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., is seen on his way to a vote on Capitol Hill, Thursday, May 18, 2006. The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday that the committee would look into possible rules violations by Jefferson and Ohio Republican Bob Ney. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)

FBI agents load the back of a minivan at the Rayburn House Office Building 'horseshoe' entrance Sunday, May 21, 2006, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Beginning Saturday evening, May 20, 2006, agents from the FBI searched the congressional offices of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke

[AmericanMade1776]

ALEXANDRIA, Va. May 22, 2006 (AP)— Allegedly scamming a Virginia businesswoman could prove to be a major mistake for a Democratic congressman from New Orleans.

The FBI revealed Sunday that Rep. William Jefferson, under investigation for bribery, was videotaped accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from an FBI informant whose conversations with the lawmaker also were recorded. Agents later found the cash hidden in his freezer, according to a court document released Sunday.

At one meeting captured on audiotape, Jefferson chuckles about writing in code to keep secret what the government contends was his corrupt role in getting his children a cut of a communications company's deal for work in Africa.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1989319&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

[Pharmboy]

I understand he quoted one of his heroes when confronted: "The b*tch set me up."

[CertainInalienableRights]

This is sorta peripheral, but I'll ask it anyway...

Is a freezer a good place to keep cash and other valuables from a fire-protection standpoint?

I'm just curious how well freezers survive in the event of a house fire. Seems like its one of the last places a thief would look, and its a relatively convenient place to store valuables.

I guess, though, if you have enough cash that you would need to store it in the freezer, you'd be better off taking some of it and buying a good fire safe.

[AmericanMade1776]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI agents videotaped Rep. William Jefferson (news, bio, voting record), a Louisiana Democrat, accepting $100,000 in cash they said was intended as a bribe for a Nigerian official and later found $90,000 of the money hidden in his freezer, according to a court document released on Sunday
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060522/pl_nm/usa_congress_raid_dc_1

[Brilliant]

No wonder he was so anxious to get to his house after Katrina.

[satchmodog9]

culture of corruption.

[Mad Dawg]

Woah! Good News! A Democrat in favor of freezing the budget!

[SlowBoat407]

What is it with the name "William Jefferson" and scandals?

[Vaquero]

Hey they re-elected Bus Boy Ray Nagin again. Figure that one?????

I hate living in NY but LA seems to be just as bad.

Chocolate Salty Balls City Ping

[Ronin]

I thought so. This is the congresscritter that said he wanted to inspect the flood damage and then ordered his escort to take him by his house so he could grab a few things.

[G.Mason]

It would follow that if one is intelligent enough to have made enough cash to worry about it being stolen or destroyed, that one would be able to think of a viable plan to keep it safe.

Of course I say this as one who has little of either, therefor I keep ours in the shower curtain rod.

[standingfirm]

Oh yeah, He's the guy who used the National Guard to transport him to his house, went in while they waited for hours while he loaded up boxes of stuff from his house, laptops etc.

Seems like he was used to "using" his position to get what he wanted, while the Guard should have been rescuing people off roofs.

[Roccus]

An FDNY friend of mine said a long time ago that the best thing for papers was a leather briefcase. Not an attache (sp?) case, but a briefcase. He said that they almost always survived fires as did their contents.
Now this was a while back before all the new home safes appeared on the market.

Just my .02

[AmericanMade1776]

You mean the other "William Jefferson" Clinton?

[socialismisinsidious]

And some continue to wonder why these bureaucrappers never want to leave office and never listen to US. Show me the money.

[ANGGAPO]

Is this what's called Cold Cash?