Posted on 01/05/2007 11:48:33 AM PST by markomalley
On only the fourth day of the new year, we’ve decided that the 2007 “Some Nerve!” award goes to ... Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.).
You might think that a guy who’s still the subject of a federal bribery investigation would be more careful than to use taxpayer resources to raise campaign money. But nope, not Jefferson. And heck, he still hasn’t provided us with that “honorable explanation” he promised for the bizarro (and alleged) $90,000 in cash federal agents confiscated from a freezer in his Capitol Hill home.
Last week, House Democrats were shocked to receive a letter from Jefferson — on his official Congressional stationery, no less — asking colleagues to donate money to help him retire his campaign debt.
“As you know,” the letter, dated Dec. 29, 2006, began, “I recently won a grueling race for re-election.” (And won resoundingly in a runoff, despite the ongoing federal probe in which two people have already pleaded guilty.) “In order to get our message out and otherwise compete, we incurred over $200,000 in debt.
“Therefore, I would deeply appreciate it if you would assist me in retiring my debt by contributing $1,000 (or whatever amount you can afford) to my campaign,” Jefferson wrote.
Nice letter. Too bad it violates House ethics rules. It’s a no-no to use taxpayer resources to raise campaign dough.
Some Democratic aides were downright aghast at Jefferson’s audacity at using franked envelopes, official letterhead and the House internal mail service in a blatant violation of House rules.
“We were going to send him a check in a freezer bag,” joked one chief of staff to a Democratic Member of Congress who received Jefferson’s solicitation.
Another, only slightly snarkier, Democratic House chief of staff pitched in with: “He’s got $90,000 in his freezer, why can’t he buy some stationery and stamps?” (Answer: Because the Feds took the money!) The chief of staff added, “Some people will never learn. Can’t he go away already?”
Jefferson, who has not been indicted (yet) in the bribery scandal, sent out the letter by mistake, according to his office. His staff apparently meant to use campaign stationery, but instead used the boss’s “Congress of the United States” letterhead, which, by the way, still lists Jefferson as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Remember, Jefferson’s own Democratic colleagues voted overwhelmingly to kick him off the committee last summer after the FBI claimed it had videotaped the Congressman accepting $100,000 in marked bills from an informant. And now Jefferson has the gumption to write them and ask for money?
Jefferson’s spokeswoman, Melanie Russell, told HOH that the Congressman himself was unaware of the boo-boo until she went to him with our request for comment. “It’s news to him,” she sighed.
“It was just a tremendous — tremendous — staff error,” she said. “We are contacting the appropriate committees to apologize and rectify the situation.”
We presume that will involve the cash-strapped Jefferson campaign reimbursing the House Franking Commission for the costs involved in sending the fundraising solicitation.
Nancy Pelosi has an interesting road ahead of her. She's a very weak leader, indeed, if she can't even get rid of someone of this caliber.
Nancy Pelosi....pick up the yellow courtesy phone
Was he allowed to keep the cold cash?
Did anybody ask him where the money came from?
Did he lie?
How did he get re-elected?? Oh sorry, forgot...he's from N.O.
downright aghast at Jefferson’s audacity .... where is the Claude Raines picture?
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