Rep. Jefferson Should Resign

[cali]

There's ample evidence that he's dirty. I really don't want to see him become the face of the "corrupt" democratic party in the 2006 elections.

Businessman Pleads to Bribing Congressman
By MATTHEW BARAKAT
ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - A Kentucky technology executive pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to bribing a congressman in charges stemming from an investigation of a Louisiana House member.

<snip>

The congressman was not identified in court documents or during Wednesday's plea hearing, but documents make clear that the congressman whom Jackson admits bribing is Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat who represents New Orleans.

Jackson faces a maximum of 20 years when he is sentenced July 27. The plea agreement calls for a sentencing guideline range not to exceed seven to nine years, but the judge is not bound by those guidelines.

Prosecutor Mark Lytle said Jackson paid roughly $360,000 over a four-year period to a company controlled by the congressman's wife in exchange for Jefferson's help promoting iGate technology in Africa. Jackson also gave the company a 24 percent stake in iGate and paid for $80,000 in travel expenses on the congressman's trips to Africa to promote iGate.

<snip>
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-cong/2006/may/03/050300005.html

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I agree.

I don't care what party he's from. This is not tolerable.

[Ian David]

2. They're just persecuting him because he's Christian.

This is a legal "suicide-bombing"... confess to a crime and name an innocent accomplice whose only "crime" is that he's a Christian.

:sarcasm:

[WI_DEM]

3. I agree

[bigtree]

4. yeah, sad

just a blip compared to the republican's culture of corruption and the countless Bushites and corporatist conservatives under investigation, indictment, or lockdown.

it's really shocking to see corruption in Louisiana government. unprecedented, I imagine.

[cali]

5. I know

but I just want the headlines now, not in September.

[bigtree]

7. I think headlines like this one are more relevant to our lives:

750 Laws Bush says can Kiss his Ass

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.

Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.

Legal scholars say the scope and aggression of Bush's assertions that he can bypass laws represent a concerted effort to expand his power at the expense of Congress, upsetting the balance between the branches of government. The Constitution is clear in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty ''to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Bush, however, has repeatedly declared that he does not need to ''execute" a law he believes is unconstitutional.

Former administration officials contend that just because Bush reserves the right to disobey a law does not mean he is not enforcing it: In many cases, he is simply asserting his belief that a certain requirement encroaches on presidential power.

http://www.speciousreasoning.com/node/1262
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/04/30/bush_challenges_hundreds_of_laws/

[cali]

8. True. Bush's malfeasance

is more important than most things posted on DU, but other things are still important.

[bigtree]

11. what is the point then? the september headline thing is kind of weak

Is it that Democrats have members who have allowed themselves to be bribed? That's hardly news or instructive of anything that I can think of except that crime is wrong and our elected leaders should know better.

It has almost no relevance to the culture of corruption that surrounds the republican party and their corporatist sponsors and supporters who have been robbing the Treasury blind since Bush came into office.

Yes, it's bad for Louisiana, and a shame for the Democratic party to lose such a determined advocate as Jefferson. It's disheartening, but it's one congressman vs. a line of republicans and conservatives waiting for their money-grubbing misdeeds to reveal themselves in the face of the investigations stemming from the Abramoff scandal. *IF he's guilty Jefferson will (and should) get buried under the mob of miscreants that infect the GOP and their menagerie of muckrakers, militarists, and criminals.

edit:*

[LA lady]

6. we are infamous

Bwahahahahhahaa


In all seriousness, please resign Jefferson!!

[KamaAina]

9. Just when New Orleans really needs representation...

this has been going on since last summer, before the storm.

So just at the point when they need to get things like emergency aid through Congress, their guy is under a DeLay-esque cloud smelling of Raid. Lovely.

If he does resign, would the seat remain vacant until the November election, or would they be faced with yet another election conducted in large part by absentee ballot?

Aside: I worked with one of Jefferson's opponents when he originally won the seat in 1990. My guy even tried to get me onto "Jeff"'s staff! So just think, it could have been me pleading out to Federal charges (though I like to think I would have told him what he was doing was illegal and unethical). And besides, if you're going to take graft, at least do so on behalf of your district, not some guy way up in Kentucky! :evilgrin:

[AndyA]

10. If Jefferson is guilty of the accusations, he should resign.

It doesn't matter what party is involved. This is unacceptable.

The Republicans will make this a huge story, with the full cooperation of their media partners. Just like they've done so many times before.

I feel like anything Democrats have done is a drop in the bucket compared to Republicans, but it's still wrong and it cannot be allowed.

[papau]

12. Is demanding resignation now a bit premature?

Jefferson denied the allegation, saying he has never demanded or accepted anything to perform a service for which he was elected.

How do they PROVE otherwise?

The company controlled by wife got investments, members of his his staff received money -He invested and got cask/expense reimbursement to promote the company he has a part ownership in, but nothing ties him to anything as far as has been reveal.

It smells - but perhaps demanding a resignation at this time is a bit premature.

[cali]

14. The evidence is strong.

If this was a repuke would you be insisting that it's too early for him to resign?

[papau]

15. It is never too early for a GOPer to resign & that needs no reason beyond

the fact they are a GOPer in office!

But in terms of a GOP DA charging members of a Dem Congressman's staff, and charging the fellow who did the bribes, but not charging the Dem Congressman, I would wait a bit before calling for the Congressman's resignation.

Now if it was a Dem DA or even a career DA I might think harder about the situation - but I believe even in that case I would still want to wait.

[originalpckelly]

13. We are better than the Republicans...

We are good enough, principled enough to not defend a man who has a lot of evidence suggesting that he is guilty of a crime.

He should resign, we shouldn't stand up and make the bullshit statements the Republicans did for DeLay. We are not them. There is a reason Mr. Jefferson is an isolated case of corruption, we Democrats are interested in upholding the important laws.