My understanding is this investigation has been ongoing since March 2005
And there was a search on Jefferson's house in Aug 2005 .. If Hassert didn't know about this investigation then he is blind as a bat
I have a sneaking suspicion that Hastert and Frist are in on all of this - what if "fake" Republican outrage is targeted more for keeping this one case of Democratic corruption alive in the news cycle. It's easier to explain and endlessly hype a la Natalee Holloway as compared to the Republican scandals, especially if this goes to the Supreme Court: endless replay of the Democratic congressman on videotape, stories of cash wrapped in aluminum-foil hidden in his freezer, etc.
The best case for the 2008 election would be if it is clear in the end that Jefferson is guilty, but he gets off on an evidence-collection technicality via a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling, with Scalia writing the dissent blasting Congress. Sounds like something Rove would think of ; )