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With the new disclosures in the Biden corruption scandal, the media has, again, pivoted to avoid acknowledging the obvious. It now has a new demand before it will fully recognize or report on the scandal. Of course, after long repeating denials of Joe Biden that he ever knew about his son’s foreign business deals, the media must now recognize that Hunter was selling influence and access. So they have added yet another task: show Joe Biden actually accepting money. It is what in literature is called the “impossible task” demand like the Slavic tale of a Tsar ordering a suitor...

Federal prosecutors are being ordered to quickly respond to jailed New Orleans congressman William Jefferson's request to have his sentence vacated. Jefferson was convicted in 2009 on fraud charges for promoting American businesses to African leaders in exchange for payments. His attorneys argue his dealings were wrongly defined as "official acts" and should never have been a part of his trial. A federal judge has given prosecutors an October 31st deadline to respond. Jefferson's lawyers acted after the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out the conviction of the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. McDonnell was convicted of corruption in...

WASHINGTON - The Louisiana Supreme Court Friday (May 1) permanently barred former Rep. William Jefferson from practicing law. Jefferson, 68, a Democrat who represented New Orleans in Congress for 12 terms, is serving a 13-year prison sentence in Oakdale for corruption and not scheduled for release until August, 30, 2023, when he would be 76 years old. The Louisiana Supreme Court said in its ruling that it agreed with the unanimous finding of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board that the conduct of the Harvard-educated lawyer is so egregious that he should not be allowed to return to the practice of...

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Two former executives at an Icelandic bank which collapsed in the 2008 financial meltdown were sentenced to jail on Friday for fraud which led to a 53 million euro loss, in the first major trial of Icelandic bankers linked to the crisis. All three of the small North Atlantic island's top banks collapsed in quick succession in October 2008 due to big debts incurred during a rapid overseas expansion. Glitnir was the first to fall after the collapse of Lehman Brothers caused international credit markets to freeze up.

William Jefferson settles in to federal prison in Beaumont, TexasBy Bruce Alpert, Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune Published: Saturday, May 05, 2012, 9:00 AM Former Democratic Rep. William Jefferson reported Friday to the low-security federal prison in Beaumont, Texas, to begin serving a 13-year sentence, the longest ever for a congressional member. Jefferson, 65, arrived about 40 minutes ahead of the noon deadline set by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III who presided over Jefferson's 2009 trial for corruption and bribery. **SNIP** His downfall began when a disgruntled investor went to the FBI in 2005, expressing concerns that she was being defrauded...

This Just In: William “Cold Cash” Jefferson, former Democratic Representative from Louisiana was sentenced to 13 years in prison today after being convicted on a number of federal corruption charges. Jefferson, you will recall, was infamous for having $90,000 in bribe money hidden in his freezer... ...And to those of you in Congress that haven’t been caught yet… tick-tock…

Jail For Corruption. William Jefferson was sentenced today for quite a few federal offenses. Among them bribery. He’s most famous for having the freezer with $90,000 in cash inside. According to Politico: Jefferson’s sentence was the harshest ever handed out to a former lawmaker, but Justice Department officials said Jefferson warranted such a severe sanction due to the unprecedented scale of his corruption. Jefferson appeared in court Friday afternoon in a black suit and a red tie, with his five daughters, his wife and his brother. Jefferson did not speak at his sentencing, and his attorney Robert Trout says he...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Louisiana congressman who famously hid $90,000 cash in his freezer was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison for taking bribes, the longest term ever imposed on a congressman for bribery charges. William Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans for nearly 20 years, was convicted in August of taking roughly $500,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. The sentence was still far less than the nearly 30 years prosecutors had sought.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The former Louisiana congressman who famously hid $90,000 cash in his freezer and was later convicted of federal bribery charges on Friday was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

WASHINGTON – A federal judge has denied the request for a new trial by a former Louisiana congressman convicted on corruption charges. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III ruled against a motion by former Rep. William Jefferson on Friday in Alexandria, Va. Jefferson was convicted Aug. 5 on 11 of 16 federal counts for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa after federal agents found cash in his freezer. A jury ruled Jefferson must forfeit roughly $470,000. He later filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.

Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson and his wife, Andrea, have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection as the convicted ex-congressman prepares for a forfeiture hearing in his federal corruption case. William Jefferson was convicted earlier this month in Virginia on 11 of 16 corruption charges. He faces a forfeiture hearing because the jury found that he and his family received $470,000 and more than 30 million shares of stock proceeds as a result of criminal activities. Meanwhile, he and his wife are seeking protection from a handful of creditors. They owe more than $1 million and less than $10 million,...

After hearing evidence for more than one month in a federal court in Alexandria, Va., a jury found Jefferson guilty on 11 charged counts, including solicitation of bribes, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, racketeering and conspiracy. Jefferson was acquitted on three counts of honest services wire fraud, an obstruction of justice charge and of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the verdict and scheduled sentencing for Oct. 30, 2009. Jefferson faces a maximum penalty of 150 years in prison and the jury will reconvene tomorrow to address whether he will additionally face...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson has been found guilty of 11 of the 16 charges against him in a federal bribery and conspiracy trial. Jefferson was accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A jury is scheduled to hear closing arguments Wednesday in the bribery trial of a former Louisiana congressman .. William Jefferson, a Democrat .. is accused of receiving more than $400,000 in bribes .. Jefferson's attorneys argue that their client was essentially acting as a private business consultant and never violated bribery laws.

ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- The lead FBI agent in the investigation of former Rep. William Jefferson denied Wednesday that he had instructed cooperating witness Lori Mody to play on Jefferson's emotions, get him drunk, and lure him into taking a bigger share of her company. "That's not on her, that's on him, " special agent Timothy Thibault said, explaining that Jefferson continued to escalate his demands for a piece of Mody's business even when he wasn't under the influence of her wiles and wine. In its redirect, the prosecution played a videotape from the four-hour, $1,023 dinner Mody and Jefferson shared...

Jefferson trial enters third day of testimonyBy GERARD SHIELDS Advocate Washington bureau Published: Jun 18, 2009 - UPDATED: 9:30 p.m. WASHINGTON – Jurors in the bribery trial of former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson got their first chance Thursday to listen to secretly recorded government tapes that include Jefferson expressing worry about landing in the “pokey.” The 18-year congressman was upset when a Kentucky telecommunications business owner suggested that they get a new investor for a project the two were promoting in Africa. In one obscenity-laced statement, Jefferson was heard to say that the activities in which they were engaged could...

The attorney for William J. Jefferson tackled the "elephant in the room" in opening statements Tuesday, explaining the notorious $90,000 "cold cash" discovered in the former congressman's freezer as an FBI setup bid. Prosecutors, for their part, painted a portrait of a debt-ridden man selling out the public good. In his opening speech in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Jefferson attorney Robert Trout addressed the best-known detail in the case - the marked bills found by federal agents in Mr. Jefferson's freezer wrapped inside Pillsbury Pie Crust boxes. He described the money as the trial's "elephant in the room." He...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Opening statements are scheduled in the trial of a former Louisiana congressman charged with bribery after federal agents found $90,000 in cash in his freezer. The case is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria, Va. William Jefferson is accused of soliciting bribes, racketeering, money laundering and other crimes. Jefferson represented parts of New Orleans until losing re-election last year. Prosecutors say he received more than $500,000 and sought millions more for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa.

Former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson faces several obstacles to being acquitted of bribery, racketeering and other federal charges — and topping the list is explaining the $90,000 cash stashed in his freezer. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans until losing his bid for re-election last year, goes on trial Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria on allegations that he received more than $400,000 in bribes in return for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa. Defense attorneys are expected to attack the credibility of a witness who frequently wore a wire for...

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court refused Monday to delay the upcoming trial of former Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson on bribery and other charges. The former Democratic congressman has argued that prosecutors trampled on his constitutional privileges as a lawmaker. But the high court refused to hear Jefferson's appeal to throw out the indictment against him. Jefferson was indicted in 2007 on multiple counts, including soliciting bribes and racketeering. Investigators raided Jefferson's home and found $90,000 in cash stuffed in a freezer. A federal judge has set a June 2 trial date in Alexandria, Va.