What $90,000 in the freezer?? This is all because the man is out to get him, isn't it?!
Posted on 06/13/2007 9:09:16 PM PDT by Triggerhippie
NEW ORLEANS - 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.
Tracie Washington, a civil rights lawyer, asked the audience to give Jefferson the benefit of the doubt.
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.
They probably think that "denial" is a river...
(They might not even be able to *spell* "I.Q."!)
Laughable.
It is simply “gang” mentality. Gangs come in lots of forms other than the Sopranos or GD’s.
Birds of a feather... Why protect an obvious criminal unless one wants/expects the same protection for oneself further on down the line?
Ha,ha,did the Bush Admin. put the 90 grand in Jefferson’s freezer before or after they blew up the New Orleans levies ???
Liberia is calling
How dare these assclowns besmirch the good name of Mr. Washington, a stalwart Republican, a brilliant man, and a man of impeccable character, by comparing him to criminal trash like Congressman Jefferson. It's well worth remembering that Mr. Washington knew over a CENTURY ago about the charlatans and frauds that permeate today's Democrat party who masquerade as the self-appointed Black leadership, and this is what he had to say about it:
"There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs....There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who do not want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public."
Um... didn’t MLK say something about looking forward to a day when people would be judged by “the content of their character?”
Don’t blow a gasket over it,the NAACP sure as hell ain’t worth it !!!
That’s my take.
Black politicos have every right to stash cash in a freezer,no matter how the cash was obtained.
Only, George Washington Carver contributed to this nation, but, his legacy is peanuts in comparison to Jefferson.
What a world in which we live.
Dear CongressCritter Jefferson,
Try this for your defense: “The bitch set me up!”
It’s worked before!
Mark
What got me angry was comparing this crook to great men like Washington and Carver. It’s sickening. I’m just rather glad they’re not around to see what passes for “leadership” today in the Black community. If they were, they’d be denounced for “acting White.”
bump!
“Group” = black. They will defend any black person of any crime. Remember OJ?
I would bet that 98% of today’s race-baiters never heard anything of Booker T Washington other than his name.
Zimbabwe needs a new leader...
Yeah, President Bush sent in the same secret team that blew up the levies in New Orleans and brought down the twin towers to frame Jefferson and plant money in his freezer, that’s the ticket!! Paging Joe Isuzu, call the Louisiana NAACP!! Will Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Louis Farakhan be heading to NOLA?! LOL
Bill Jefferson will stand up like Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver.
Disgusting comparison. George Washington Carver was a great American and I believe that Booker T. Washington did so good as well. Comparing these to is just plain ridiculous!!!!
Don’t these folks ever stop to consider that it might not reflect well on them to defend such utter corruption?
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