Democrats want Rep. Jefferson out of post

This guy has no shame, he was busted for taking a bribe & now he won't step down from his post, shame.... :oops::twisted:


Democrats want Rep. Jefferson out of post
08-June-2006

Democratic leaders worked to strip embattled Rep. William Jefferson of his committee assignment on Thursday after the Louisiana lawmaker rebuffed repeated calls to step aside pending completion of a federal bribery investigation.

Jefferson, at the center of an increasingly complicated legal and political controversy with racial overtones, insisted he would not go quietly. "I can guarantee" he will not voluntarily step aside, said Melanie Roussell, his spokeswoman.

The congressman has not been indicted and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, with authority over taxes, Medicare, trade, Social Security and more.

Several officials said Jefferson had rebuffed a final appeal to step aside in a meeting with three fellow Democrats dispatched by party leaders. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the delicate nature of the conversation.

Within hours, the same leadership group met and voted to remove him from the panel, at least temporarily, according to officials familiar with the deliberations. These officials said the vote was not unanimous, reflecting at least some disagreement about the case.

Ominously for Jefferson, the entire Democratic rank and file was summoned to an evening meeting to ratify the action.

"I'm planning to call an emergency meeting of the caucus to talk among ourselves and make some determination as to what we should do," said Rep. James Clyburn (news, bio, voting record) of South Carolina, the caucus chairman.

A vote by the full House would be required to force Jefferson to step aside.

The maneuvering capped a determined attempt by the Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) of California, to ease Jefferson from his position. "I feel he should step aside," she told reporters but declined further comment.

Democrats intend to campaign against Republicans this fall by accusing them of presiding over a "culture of corruption." Jefferson's continued presence on the committee presumably would allow Republicans to blur the issue in the midterm elections.

While Jefferson has not been indicted, two men have been found guilty in the probe.

Brett Pfeffer, a former Jefferson aide, was sentenced to eight years in prison last month for conspiring to commit bribery and aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official.

Vernon Jackson, 53, chief executive of iGate Inc., a Louisville, Ky.-based telecommunications company, pleaded guilty May 3 to paying more than $400,000 in bribes to Jefferson.

Additionally, the FBI claims it videotaped the Louisianian last summer taking $100,000 in bribe money and that agents later found $90,000 of the money stashed in a freezer in his home.

FBI agents carried out a weekend search of Jefferson's congressional office last month, triggering an outpouring of criticism from congressional leaders claiming they had encroached on Congress' constitutional powers.

In response, Bush ordered the material taken be turned over the a Justice Department official not involved in the investigation.

Race was a further complication in the episode. Jefferson is black, and some Democrats say that black voters could be alienated if he is forced aside.

"The rule is you lose your leadership position or chairmanship" after indictment, said Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, who is also black.

Pelosi recently prevailed on Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, to step aside as senior member of the ethics committee after questions were raised about some of his legislative actions. But he remains a member of the Appropriations Committee, with broad authority over the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars a year.