Posted on 07/07/2006 4:40:23 PM PDT by Libloather
Jefferson hires crisis-seasoned PR aide
Congressman target in corruption probe
Friday, July 07, 2006
By Bruce Alpert
Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La., points to a map as he talks with Congressman William Jefferson at a presentation during a briefing on the levee system in Southern Louisiana in New Orleans, Thursday, July 6, 2006. The briefing covered the state of current levee reconstruction and what actions need to be implemented in the future to ensure South Louisiana residents are safe from the flooding associated with hurricanes. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, the target of a high-profile public corruption probe, has hired a crisis communications consultant whose past clients have included Monica Lewinsky and the family of murdered Washington intern Chandra Levy.
Judy Smith, a lawyer who did media relations for former President Bush, will be speaking for Jefferson's legal team, headed by Washington lawyer Robert Trout, said Melanie Roussell, the spokeswoman for his congressional office. Roussell said she will continue to be the spokeswoman for Jefferson's congressional activities.
Jefferson, an eight-term Democrat, is listed in FBI documents as the major target of a nearly 16-month federal corruption probe that has produced guilty pleas by a former Jefferson aide and the CEO of a Kentucky company. The CEO, Vernon Jackson, said in his plea documents that he had paid more than $400,000 to a company run by Jefferson's family in return for Jefferson's help landing telecommunications contracts in Nigeria and Ghana.
Among the public relations challenges facing Smith, founder and partner with the Washington communications firm Impact Strategies, are FBI statements that agents videotaped Jefferson taking a briefcase with $100,000 in $100 bills from a cooperating witness.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
"In that new Sub Zero over there, you can pack a quarter mil behind that ice maker."
"The refrigerator set me up !"
In no way should Jefferson's actions reflect poorly on the refrigerator.
I can see his crisis management plan now: "Congressman Jefferson has clearly been a target of the Republicans, a victim of racism, an unConstitutional raid by a corrupt government, and a casualty of police corruption. He also may have been inappropriately touched." Hey, maybe I could do that job.
His stashes of frozen money could be used to plug the levees.
He could also use it to fill in his receding hairline.
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