Prosecutors to court: Get on with William Jefferson D-La trial (faces up to 235 years)

Las Vegas Sun ^ | 12/28/08

[Libloather]

Prosecutors to court: Get on with Jefferson trial
The Associated Press
Sun, Dec 28, 2008 (12:03 a.m.)

Federal prosecutors are urging an appeals court to get on with Rep. William Jefferson's corruption trial, saying his appeal to the Supreme Court does not have enough chance of success to justify further delays.

Jefferson. D-La., was indicted on bribery charges after agents found $90,000 in his freezer. He has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers argue that his trial should be delayed pending his appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jefferson argues that the charges are invalid because a grand jury got access to information about his actions as a member of Congress. That, Jefferson claims, runs afoul of a constitutional clause that shields members of Congress from civil or criminal action stemming from the performance of their legislative duties.

But in a brief filed this week in Richmond, Va., with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, prosecutor Mark Lytle said delaying the trial would cause "further prejudice," or harm, to the government's case against the nine-term congressman. The government brought the charges 18 months ago.

Jefferson, Lytle wrote, has not shown the required "reasonable probability" of success with the high court on the merits of his case.

"And, at trial, the District Court will scrupulously guard against any possible violations of the Speech or Debate Clause" that Jefferson cited, Lytle wrote.

**SNIP**

Jefferson has promised there is an "honorable explanation" for the money in the freezer, although he has yet to make it public.

**SNIP**

Jefferson faces up to 235 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

[Eva]

Bill Richardson, Gov. of New Mexico, Obama’s appointment as secretary of commerce is under federal investigation for illegal campaign donations in 2004 to a guy named Rubin from Beverly Hills, to whom Richardson awarded contracts that carried a 1.5 million dollar fee in exchange for the campaign donations.

[Eva]

from Sweetness and Light:

Now, feds probe Gov. Richardson of Obama Cabinet for ‘pay-to-play’

It seems that Illinois’ legally challenged Gov. Rod Blagojevich is not the only close Barack Obama associate and Democratic governor being investigated by the feds for possibly selling government business in return for campaign contributions.

New Mexico’s Gov. Bill Richardson, who is the newly named Secretary of Commerce in Obama’s about-to-be Cabinet, is also being investigated by a federal grand jury in his home state for possibly steering state bond business from the New Mexico Financial Authority toward David Rubin, a significant campaign contributor, according to an NBC News report, among others.

NBC’s Lisa Myers reports that two former state officials say they’ve recently been questioned by a federal grand jury specifically about allegations that Richardson or aides pushed state business worth nearly $1.5 million in fees toward CDR Financial Products in 2004. The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills.

This was about the same time as CDR’s founder, Rubin, donated $100,000 to two of Richardson’s political action committees; mainly it appears to cover expenses of the governor and his staff at the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Boston that summer.

Rubin also donated another $29,000 to Richardson’s unsuccessful presidential campaign this year and last.

The probe is part of a broad national federal exploration of “pay-to-play,” in which government officials reap financial or other benefits in return for state business.

Richardson has ignored reporters’ questions on the federal investigation, while a spokesman says he’s confident the relationship was entirely appropriate and the governor expects state employees to cooperate fully with federal investigators. A CDR spokesman also said the transactions were appropriate.

An Obama transition official has refused to comment on whether the president-elect knew of the investigation before he appointed Richardson to his new Cabinet position….

Weirdly enough, this report didn’t even warrant a written article at either NBC or MSNC. Nor does any word of this yet appear anywhere else in our watchdog media.

(I can only hope that Governor Gregoire is included in this probe, as well)