Posted on 05/24/2006 12:06:22 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Democrats sought to get embattled Rep. William Jefferson (news, bio, voting record) to resign his seat on the House's most prestigious committee.
"In the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus, I am writing to request your immediate resignation from the Ways and Means Committee," wrote House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi in the one-sentence correspondence.
The Louisiana Democrat was defiant.
"With respect, I decline to do so," he wrote back to Pelosi."I will not give up a committee assignment that is so vital to New Orleans at this crucial time for any uncertain, long-term political strategy."
Earlier, House Speaker Dennis Hastert demanded that the FBI surrender documents it seized and remove agents involved in the weekend raid of Jefferson's office, under what lawmakers of both parties said were unconstitutional circumstances.
"We think those materials ought to be returned," Hastert said, adding that the FBI agents involved "ought to be frozen out of that (case) just for the sake of the constitutional aspects of it."
The Saturday night search of Jefferson's office on Capitol Hill brought Democrats and Republicans together in rare election-year accord, with both parties protesting agency conduct they said violated the Constitution's separation of powers doctrine.
Support from a majority of the House would be required to strip Jefferson of his seat on the panel. It was not immediately clear whether such a vote has been planned, according to knowlegable officials of both parties who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Jefferson, meanwhile, on Wednesday filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan to order the FBI to return all of the documents taken from his office during the 15-hour search. Hogan was the judge who last Thursday issued the warrant authorizing the search.
The congressman also asked that FBI and Justice Department attorneys be prohibited from reviewing the documents and that they be locked up until the judge acts on the motion.
Jefferson's motion said the search violated "speech and debate" protections in the Constitution to insure the independence of lawmakers.
Presidential administrations and the Congress have routinely subpoenaed information from each other, and often they have refuse to cede the materials sought.
This is the first time the branch seeking the information dispatched its law enforcement arm to wrest information from the office of a sitting congressman who is the target of a probe.
Republicans, meanwhile, were being careful to protest the raid without defending Jefferson, in an increasingly tense relationship with the White House over its use of executive power.
A day earlier, Hastert, R-Ill., complained personally to President Bush about raid. Other House officials have predicted that the case would bring all three branches together at the Supreme Court for a constitutional showdown.
In April, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., personally told Bush that "the president doesn't have a blank check" during a discussion of Bush's domestic wiretapping program.
Hastert kept up the drumbeat after the FBI's raid of Jefferson's office.
"My opinion is that they took the wrong path," Hastert said after meeting with Bush in the White House. "They need to back up, and we need to go from there."
The developments are the beginning of what lawmakers predict will be a long dispute over the FBI's search of Jefferson's office last weekend. Historians say it was the first raid of a representative's quarters in Congress' 219 years.
FBI agents searched Jefferson's office in pursuit of evidence in a bribery investigation. The search warrant, signed by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan, was based on an affidavit that said agents found $90,000 in cash wrapped and stashed in the freezer of Jefferson's home.
White House officials said they did not learn of the search until after it happened. They pledged to work with the Justice Department to soothe lawmakers.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales tried to strike a conciliatory tone, saying, "We have a great deal of respect for the Congress as a coequal branch of government." But he also defended the search: "We have an obligation to the American people to pursue the evidence where it exists."
Justice Department officials said the decision to search Jefferson's office was made in part because he refused to comply with a subpoena for documents last summer. Jefferson reported the subpoena to the House on Sept. 15, 2005.
If nothing else, it is a public display of why folks should and must take their votes for primary candidates very seriously and get out the vote and conservative message.
We have opportunities every 2 years to flush the House seats as needed, and the Senate seats every 6.
It is time or should be soon to restore a dignity and respect to a Congress that somehow has become tarnished and noticeably so, or in some instances, evidently entirely missing.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Hey Nancy, look up the word "impotent" in the dictionary. You will see your picture.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
It took her 6 words to start lying
In the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus
If the FBI had reason to believe a congressperson was involved in the disappearance of someone, are they not negligent if they don't search the office of said congressperson?
Also everyone, notice how the media is going right along with the congress' anger over this issue. If Jefferson had an "R" in front of his name, do you think they'd be worried about "separation of powers"?
The short answer is "yes". The long answer is also "yes".
Come on, gang. This is their job in this corrupt "Two-Party Cartel". How many times will it take before the sheeple see that this so-called conservative faction (which shows little conservatism) is only buffer in talk only to the elites that own the cartel & have no desire for a true conservative agenda to unfold. Each day we see them become more bold & out of touch because nobody is willing to oust them. They continue to make , not fools of them but fools out of the voters that keep them there.
We have opportunities every 2 years to flush the House seats as needed, and the Senate seats every 6.
Very true. Nomination papers for Congressional (and state office) seats can be circulated here in the land of cheese and beer starting June 1, with the required number of signatures (and other paperwork) due back to the State Elections Board the close of business July 11.
LOLOL. Thanks for the laugh, Stretch.
Someone should tell Hastert the less said, the better. We all know Jefferson is going to take the big hit, so let nature take its' course. He should be yelling that the demorats are holdin' the black man back, just like they do all the black folk, and that is typical of the demorats. He should say the dems don't want no black man gettin' uppity with his committee assignments and that's why Pelosi wants him off Ways & Means...make hay Denny, not haymakers!! Somebody needs to talk some politikin' to this fool speaker we have. He acts retarded sometimes.
Hastert and others that seem to think that a Congressman's office is sacrosanct give me a bad taste in my mouth. It appears they are either trying to keep some of their own illicit involvements under wraps, or ensure that they can do whatever they want to do with utter impunity, just so long as they hide all the evidence in their Congressional offices. Government is stinking more and more as the months go by.
Oooohhh! That's a REALLY good one! Is that Springsteen?!
Dang, makes you wanna shout, "PEOPLE! SHUT YOUR PIEHOLES!"
Doesn't it?
You really had to twist yourself in a pretzel to get that rationalization didn't you? LOL
You know, what did she really expect for him to do? Slink away with his tail between his legs like a whipped pup?
Whatta maroon. :p
You got the plan.
yeah thats him, I think during a ballet
Why is Hastert trying to protect Jefferson?
He's trying to protect ALL Congressmen--including himself and his caucus--from searches.
He may not be dirty--but he may know who is.
--
It is a delicate situation and position to be in.
More than a few folks might be shocked to say the least if they knew what was in some of the congresscritters offices were they searched. lol
We shouldn't forget that the internet and new technologies has opened up a whole new can of worms as well.
It ain't easy be a member of Congre$$ these days, the temptations and privileges mess with some folks to the point where they lose sometimes sight and control.
The question is how do they cut their losses for the sake of the institution?
Jefferson refuses to quit Ways and Means (in reply to Pelosi request)
Excellent!! Will cause the Rats major PR problem and cause more internal strife.
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