Posted on 06/13/2007 4:15:08 PM PDT by Libloather
Group Annouces Support for Jefferson
Wednesday June 13, 7:02 pm ET
By Cain Burdeau, Associated Press Writer
Jefferson Backers Claim Justice Department Using Indicted Congressman As a Scapegoat
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Supporters of a Democratic congressman charged with bribery and money laundering harkened to their civil rights days on Wednesday as they denounced the allegations against U.S. Rep. William Jefferson.
The group, including ministers and the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, alleged the 16-count corruption indictment was the work of a Republican White House and Justice Department scheming to target black Democratic leaders and shift attention from legal troubles of Republican congressmen.
"When it's all over, Bill Jefferson will stand up like Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. He will stand up in the South and he will be victorious," said the Rev. Samson "Skip" Alexander.
The news conference attended by about 50 people was a sign Jefferson hasn't lost friends in New Orleans, which re-elected him to a ninth term from Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District in December 2006 despite an FBI probe of his African business dealings.
Prosecutors say Jefferson used his influence as co-chairman of the congressional Africa Investment and Trade Caucus to broker deals in numerous African nations, and that he demanded kickbacks for himself and for family members. He is also charged with bribing a Nigerian official.
He allegedly received more than $500,000 in bribes and demanded millions more between 2000 and 2005. He has pleaded not guilty.
The group said they would raise money for his legal defense and offer public relations help through the Justice for Jefferson Committee.
Washington asked the audience to give Jefferson the benefit of the doubt, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Danatus King, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, said, "it's important that all of us keep our eyes on the prize and that prize is one word, and that one word is justice."
Asked to comment on allegations aired at the news conference, Bryan Sierra, a Justice Department spokesman, said "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." White House spokesman Blair Jones also declined to comment.
Not everyone in attendance at Wednesday's news conference expressed undivided loyalty to Jefferson.
Sitawi Jahi, a 54-year-old youth development program director, said he came "to gather facts." But he said his confidence in Jefferson was strained by some of the evidence, in particular an allegation the FBI found $90,000 in bribe money in the congressman's freezer.
"That's hard to explain," he said.
Jefferson's legal defense fund, set up about 18 months ago, has about $140,000, according to Walter Wilkerson, the lawyer handling the fund.
From the original story -
Tracie Washington, a civil rights lawyer, described the prosecution of Jefferson as possibly the work "of a Machiavellian twist of Karl Rove and his sinister band of Brownshirts."
Rove was wearing an invisible cloak, developed by the CIA, when he put the $90,000K in Jefferson’s freezer! How kewl is that?
This is unbelieveable..........
And remember how Nancy Pelosi campaigned on the issue of the culture of corruption. I guess she thinks only Republicans can be guilty of same.
Nancy was so concerned that she had said that even the appearance of impropriety was cause for concern.
Now, we’ll have to see what happens at trial, however, this guy had the money in his freezer, which certainly qualifies as the appearance of impropriety.
Or does the appearance of impropriety only apply to Republicans????????? Does Nancy think Democrats are so pure that there can’t be any appearance of wrongdoing on their part???????
I don’t want to pre-judge the guy, but there’s some strong evidence against him..................
Shallow but predictable.
In their eyes, black people are never guilty of crimes because their actions are always to further the civil rights movement. Then in the same breath, they will deny that a criminal act was even committed.
They also believe that those that accuse and covict the criminal is the real criminal set up to bring the civil rights movement down.
No logic, no facts, no simple right and wrong, no morality.
It’s no wonder there are such deep divisions in this country.
They need to form a group just to make sure Billy J.J. gets all 230 years behind bars?
90 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CASH.
*this guy isn’t a crook?*
He’s being persecuted by the mere appearance of impropriety. He only kept his cash in the freezer to protect it from global warming. It really is Karl’s fault.
LLS
Don’t forget that the National Guard escorted him to his house to get cash in the wake of Katrina. While people were stranded. Dying.
What a Democrat.
Oh wait, former governor Edwin Edwards went to Federal prison in Texas.
Maybe the protesters don’t know this.
Typical Democrat.
Play that Funky race card black boy.
Play that funky race card Yeah.
Sing it baby.
These protected group caucuses seem to get kookier with each Congressional year. Only the Dems could put together coalitions of miniorities and nutter groups which see a conspiracy in every trial, every petition, every accusation or every indictment since their people could never, never be guilty of anything because Reagan, Bush, whites, big oil or someone other than their group could be guilty of anything. If the Pubs ever regain Congress, I hope they investigate every Dem group or rep on a daily basis and give them some of their own medicine.
They really are targeting him unfairly. I mean who doesn’t have $90,000 in bribes in their freezer?
And remember how Nancy Pelosi campaigned on the issue of the culture of corruption. I guess she thinks only Republicans can be guilty of same.
I think the culture of corruption is going to be San Fran Nan's downfall. This is another case of "Do as I say, not as I do". Can you imagine what they would be saying if this was a Republican from another state? They would be have asked for his / her resignation months ago. Remember Rep. Tom DeLay (R) Texas?
Here is another case of the dims' corruption.
There. Fixed it.
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