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 ...
LOL! Sorry if I insulted you.
Just noise, they acknowledge that the search warrent was leagal. I'd like to be a fly on the wall in Pelosi's office every time she hears WJ's name in the media.
The next e-mail I get will be replied to. I will say the following, "Is this a legitimate Nigerian E-Mail scam or is it from the office of William Jefferson?" :)
CAJUNFREUDE!!! ...snicker
Quite a few, but the welfare recipients in New Orleans out number them.
Oh, he's a slum lord.
I bet the "high tech" projects he was involved with was nothing but a bunch of PC's and mailing lists.
"His rental business — which leased television sets and other appliances to people who could not afford to buy them — appeared on the delinquent list in a city sales-tax scandal in the 1980's. And a day after he was elected to Congress in 1990, the Resolution Trust Corporation, which was trying to clean up the mess from the collapse of savings institutions, sued him for $160,000 over an apartment-building loan on which he had quit making payments. He later settled the suit, with friends saying his investments had been hurt by a faltering economy."
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Looks like he was "exploiting and taking advantage" of his fellow impoverished people -- those rental businesses make you buy the appliance about 3-4 times over, they are big scams.
Again, can you imagine, what the MSM would be saying, if a Republican had been involved in this?!
Related article -- the guy had so many corruption schemes, it's hard to keep track.
Jefferson Probe Includes Other Suspected Schemes
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1639798/posts
Hey Willy Jefferson... it will be fun watching you do the perp walk in nickle-plated cuffs.
C'est vrais chere!!
I don't think he can deny the charges - but stranger things have happened. Take Marion Berry (Barry?)
Pimpin' everyones money.
MMMM, you know they had Marion on film, news at 11 to; we'll just have to be patient. I'm humming Bob Dylon's "...for a times they are a changing...".
Maybe we ought to seal the confiscated documents for 45 days to allow this Democratic scandal to: 1)blossom closer to the election; 2) Allow Republicans to shut up( Hassert, et al); 3) Allow time for other scandals to be more fully developed (Libby discovery, NSA leaks, Joe Wilson's Niger trip, Etc.).
Heh,heh,heh.
I'm thinking sending an email reply to any suspicious sounding mail asking, "Is this scam from the U.S. House of Reps.?"
Times mentioned once that he was a Democrat, in paragraph four.
I do believe your ship has docked, quit reading the NYT for your news.
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