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 will appeal the conviction.
“This sentence should be a clear signal that our society will not tolerate bribery,” said U.S. Attorney Neal H. MacBride. “It’s not just a cost of doing business in government.”
Another federal prosecutor, Mark Lytle, called Jefferson’s crimes “the most extensive and pervasive pattern of corruption in the history of congress.” Click here to read more from Politico.
And The Note reports:
The sentence falls short of the maximum 33 years federal prosecutors recommended in court documents. Jefferson’s attorneys recommended a term of no more than 10 years.
A federal jury in August found Jefferson guilty of 11 criminal charges, including conspiracy to solicit bribes, money laundering, wire fraud and a pattern of racketeering activity.
The jury determined Jefferson may have to forfeit up to $471,000, plus additional stock holdings, the income that he received as a result of those criminal activities. Click here for more from The Note.
The Christian Science Monitor says this about the Judge:
In imposing the sentence Friday afternoon in a courtroom in Alexandria, Virginia, Judge T.S. Ellis III said Jefferson’s conduct was “a cancer on the body politic.”
On the advice of his attorney, Jefferson declined the opportunity to make a statement at his sentencing, and he remained silent because he plans to appeal his conviction.
In sentencing documents, federal prosecutors accused Jefferson of a “stunning betrayal of public trust” and sought a sentence that could amount to life for the 62 year-old former member of Congress.
“The defendant betrayed the public’s trust time after time by using his congressional office as a criminal enterprise to further a pattern of racketeering acts of corruption and self-enrichment,” prosecutors wrote. They noted that Jefferson had participated in “no fewer than eleven distinct bribe schemes.” Click here for more from The Christian Science Monitor.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Jefferson’s seven-week trial included video and audio tapes of him meeting with a federal informant at Washington D.C. hotel restaurants. Prosecutors said he used his congressional status to concoct schemes that would help pay college tuition for his daughters. Jefferson served on a trade subcommittee and is alleged to have shaken down businessmen who came to his office seeking help with African deals.
Defense attorneys portrayed Jefferson as possibly unethical but not a criminal and said he was a victim of an over-aggressive prosecution aimed at “bagging a congressman.” They said Jefferson was entrapped by investigators who wired the informant to try to nab him. Click Here For More From The Wall St. Journal.
If a Democrat that had the power Jefferson did can get this kind of sentence what could happen if someone like Chris Dodd or Barney Frank finally get their time in court?
Gateway Pundit has more information About William Jefferson & video of a Jefferson ad where he says he never took a bribe. Here.
WDSU TV in Louisianna has more here.
There’s video of Jefferson being questioned while walking into court here.
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