Posted on 06/27/2007 7:42:18 PM PDT by Libloather
Mose Jefferson, former school board members testify before grand jury
06:09 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 27, 2007
WWLTV.com
The older brother of indicted Congressman William Jefferson went before a grand jury Wednesday, just one week after a former Orleans Parish school board member allegedly implicated him in a bribery incident.
Last week Ellenese Brooks-Simms, the former Orleans Parish school board president, pled guilty to accepting $140,000 in bribes to push for and approve an educational software program. The name of the person who paid the bribe wasn’t listed in a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s office, but reports in the Times-Picayune quoted sources as saying it was Congressman Jefferson’s brother Mose.
The elder Jefferson didn’t comment upon leaving court Wednesday, but his attorney said his client had done nothing wrong.
“Mr. Jefferson has never bribed anyone,” said attorney Ike Spears. “The evidence will show it.”
Spears declined to say if the bribery charges were discussed in front of the grand jury.
Also at the courthouse was Mose Jefferson’s long time companion, former councilwoman Rene Gill Pratt. She declined comment when asked if she had testified.
School board members Una Anderson and Jimmy Fahrenholtz did testify without lawyers present. The two board members who were at odds with Brooks-Simms near the end of her tenure said they were mostly asked about school board procedure.
Anderson acknowledged that the subject of Brooks-Simms actions was discussed.
“They are definitely looking at and they represented a kickback structure by where Ellenese Brooks-Simms received the money for preferential treatment for the I Can Learn program,” she said.
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