Posted on 05/28/2006 9:03:28 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Representative William J. Jefferson has always liked to talk about growing up in an impoverished farm community, picking cotton for $3 a day and hitting the books hard enough to win his ticket out — a scholarship to Harvard Law School.
But even as Mr. Jefferson built a reputation as one of Louisiana's brightest, most effective leaders, a less flattering view began to emerge, one signified by his nickname in political circles, "Dollar Bill."
Early in his career, as a state legislator, he was criticized for enriching his law firm with contracts from state and local agencies. He also ran stores that rented appliances by the month to poor residents, owned dilapidated apartment buildings and was sued by federal regulators over a defaulted loan.
Still, once Mr. Jefferson became a close ally of President Bill Clinton, and then won a seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, he was able to provide "absolute A+" support for city projects, said Marc H. Morial, one of Ernest Morial's sons and the mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002.
Mr. Jefferson also became known as a strong advocate of freer trade and made at least nine trips to Africa to promote it, including one with President Clinton. He championed a 2000 law that extended trade benefits to sub-Saharan Africa. "Africa is a reservoir of opportunities for American businesses," he said then.
Over the years, Mr. Jefferson has received campaign contributions and free travel from individuals and companies seeking business in Africa, including iGate.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I am starting to think that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the "Nigerian" email scams originated in Congress! Ta-Daaa
I'm thinking sending an email reply to any suspicious sounding mail asking, "Is this scam from the U.S. House of Reps.?"
Ping
I was just reading this and was ready to ping you...lol.
Check THIS out. Scroll down.
From "picking cotton" for three bucks a day to Harvard Law School. Sounds to me like people have been discriminating against him all his life.
How far into the NYSlimes article do I have to read before I get to the part where Congressman Jefferson was caught on tape accepting a $100,000 bribe?
Most Falling-Down-Funny Excerpt: "Yet even if Jefferson is guilty, and even if the actions of the FBI come to be deemed acceptable - why not, since we appear to be collectively bent on trashing most of our constitutional protections these days - the question asked above still stands. If Jefferson took bribes, he did so to help a Virginia business install phone and Internet lines in Africa. This is a far, far cry from the kind of frontal attacks upon our intelligence branches that corrupt Republicans like Cunningham and his friends have profited from."
Incidentally: I take it no one's ever bothered informing The Great Lefty Scrivener that only illiterate louts end their sentences with prepositions. :)
Are there any Republicans in Louisiana?
Thanks for the link.
I would not be surprised to find a corruption link between Joe Wilson, William Jefferson, AND Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Thank you for sharing--most interesting: the names and interconnectedness. Let's see where it leads...
"Notice that the New York Times does not mention which party Jefferson belongs to. Of course if he is a Republican his party affiliation would have been mentioned in every other word of this article."
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Good Point!
If the NYT is keeping him in the news in this light he is screwed. The next twist will be Justice giving him the option to fall on his sword or risk his wife and some of his children do time. I'm loving every minute of this!!! CAJUNFREUDE!!!!
I just hope with all that cash he had in the freezer he didn't toss it at a couple of pinhead managers at The National Guard to get him trucked there in the first place, and they took it...
Jeez!
It's gonna be an interesting summer with the news
"CAJUNFREUDE!!!!"
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LOL! I don't think the Dems can push this under the rug -- I just can't imagine what's the matter with the Republicans, who wanted the FBI to give BACK to WJ the legally obtained evidence they acquired with a legal search based on a legal warrant, after WJ refused to obey a subpoena for 8 months.
#9; of some interest, I think. :)
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