Posted by Andrew Zajac at 6:15 a.m. CST
After managing to get re-elected in a run-off election last December, Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson was expected to blend in with the statuary in the Capitol, the better for his Democratic colleagues to travel the high road and continue bashing Republicans for the Duke Cunningham/Bob Ney/Jack Abramoff scandals.
But Jefferson, who is under criminal investigation connected to the discovery of $90,000 in cash in his freezer, is back in the spotlight, with an appointment from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the relatively high-profile Homeland Security Committee.
Republicans sniffed the odor of hypocrisy and wasted no time making trouble for the majority.
House Republican Whip Roy Blunt told CNN Wednesday that his side would formally object to Jefferson's appointment on the House floor.
Jefferson had been stripped of his seat on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee last June after the Feds said he was under investigation for accepting the cash in a bribery sting.
"I think our side will generally think that this is not only not a good idea but totally inconsistent with the major point that the speaker made when she wanted to be the speaker -- that this would not be allowed, that there were penalties on their side," Blunt told the cable news station.
Jefferson has denied wrong-doing. He has not been charged and continues to wage an aggressive fight in the sting investigation, one tentacle of which led the FBI to seize records from his Capitol Hill office last May.
It's likely the first time since Congress first met 220 years ago that federal law enforcement officials raided a member's office, raising sticky separation-of-powers questions and angering Democrats and Republicans alike, including then-Speaker Dennis Hastert, who was peeved that lawmakers weren't given advance notice of the raid.
Since the raid, Jefferson and the Justice Department have fought over which records, if any, investigators are entitled to examine.
In the latest development, Jefferson filed a brief Wednesday in the court of appeals in Washington arguing that the seizure violated the Constitution's speech and debate clause, which is intended to protect lawmakers from harassment for their legislative activities.
The FBI used agents and lawyers who weren't involved in the case to examine Jefferson's paper and electronic files to pluck out only records responsive to a search warrant. A 'filter team' of agents and lawyers then combed through the seized records to identify any that might be privileged.
But that's not good enough, according to Jefferson, who argues in his filing that he should have been able to decide himself which of his records were privileged before agents were allowed to pore over them.
The raid involved "an unfettered view by the executive" of every paper and electronic record in Jefferson's office and "he was not afforded any opportunity to assert his absolute privilege and shield legislative material from review by the executive," the brief states.
As the legal jousting continues, Republicans no doubt will do their best to make sure the public has an unfettered view of Jefferson.
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Comments
Why, why, why oh WHY isn't this doofus behind bars, or at least hidden somewhere in a swamp in Louisiana? Has Pelosi secretly fathered a child of his or something? I don't get it. And Homeland Security?? Jeemus crikey!
I'm gonna go take a couple aspirin.
Posted by: John | March 1, 2007 6:41 AM
The natural question should be how could a slug like this get elected?... but then I was born and raised in Chicago, so I know it's best not to beat yourself up asking that one.
Anyway, I'm glad that the new leadership in Washington (that breath of Springtime Fresh Air®) isn't going give this guy any committee assignments... DOH!
Posted by: Leo T | March 1, 2007 6:42 AM
Democrat Jefferson gives a new meaning to the term "frozen assets".
Posted by: bruce | March 1, 2007 8:39 AM
...but posting comments on The Swamp remains in a deep freeze.
Posted by: Leo T | March 1, 2007 9:37 AM
Glad to see Nancy Pelosi cleaning up the Hill.
Posted by: JB | March 1, 2007 10:00 AM
Come on, John E., Jethro, Bubba, C. Morris, and all you lefties! Chime in here! Defend your man!
Posted by: Dave | March 1, 2007 10:22 AM
Who came up with this bright idea? The Democrats have a lot of catching up to do if they want to be as crooked as the Republicans have been, but I was hoping they wouldn't try. How silly of me to think they wouldn't do their best to narrow the gap now that they have the majority. We have some pretty dim bulbs in office, don't we.
I wonder what Nancy has in her freezer?
TKO
Posted by: Tom O | March 1, 2007 10:30 AM
The Republicans also made an effort to at least hamper Jefferson's committee appointment. An effort that Pelosi and the Democrats shot down.
Posted by: Jeff | March 1, 2007 12:48 PM
I don't defend him. Never have.
Here's the sad part;
We have no third alternative, even when a third party candidate makes a run.
Why? In our Republican form of government our elections are
organized in a 'winner take all' format.
Now, if we had proportional vote counting, a third party would gain some seats in congress and pose at least a small threat to the two major parties.
This Jefferson thing is a mistake. I don't defend it other than to say it is small compared to the huge mistakes made throughout our recent, modern history.
I hope Jefferson ends up in the same wing as Duke, Ney, Jack,
soon Scooter. They can have nice reunion.
Posted by: C.Morris | March 1, 2007 1:20 PM
Jefferson is a scumbag and putting him anywhere other than the darkest corner of the House is indefensible. I will eat my words if he is not guilty but only guilty people keep 90K wrapped in tinfoil in their freezer.
Posted by: jethro | March 1, 2007 1:34 PM
I agree, C.Morris, that Jefferson is small potatoes compared to Rahm Emanuel, Gary Condit, Dan Rostenkowski, Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini and Don Riegle. A very good point you made there. His corruption, while repugnant, is small compared to the corruption that these folks wallowed in.
But the man is still a crook and shouldn't sit on ANY committee let alone the one that's responsible for keeping our nation safe. Your proportional voting idea is just plain wrong, too. If this nation had a European-style proportional voting system it would lead to the type of gridlock that's gotten that continent into the mess it's in today. With so many different factions constantly fighting for a piece of an ever-more-fractured pie we'd end up with a system that leaves nobody in charge for long and even when they're in a position of power it's not enough power to be effective.
No matter how much I disagree with Jefferson and Pelosi I, at the very least, know that they have priorities and plans that they will try to get done in office. I can't say the same for Parliament or representative body in Europe.
Posted by: Jeff | March 1, 2007 1:49 PM
This Jefferson thing is a mistake. I don't defend it other than to say it is small compared to the huge mistakes made throughout our recent, modern history. C. Morris
Would those huge mistakes include Mr. Clintons' shameful pardons, or Bob Torricelli fund raising modes, maybe it's Alciee
Hastings way of getting through the docket quickly. perhaps it's
Dan Rostenkowskis' novel approach to home decorating, and then
there's Barney Franks passing around pages like a pack of Marlboros. I could go on, but i don't want to totally ruin my evening
Posted by: Don B | March 1, 2007 5:37 PM
"I agree, C.Morris, that Jefferson is small potatoes compared to Rahm Emanuel, Gary Condit, Dan Rostenkowski, Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini and Don Riegle. "
Jeff, once again we agree, kinda.
God the list of GOPers is a long one, too.
As far a Europe not working 'cause of gridlock, wow.
Any solution to our disaster here in the US will be imperfect,
but major changes are needed. Relax, it won't happen. We will
stay on the road to nowhere until disaster overtakes us.
Beyond that, the British Parliament with it's 'questions Monday' for the PM stand above most pretensions of democracy and
questioning of supreme leaders anywhere else.
We need the same thing. We need OUR chief executive to stand
before congress and defend his positions once a month. No filtering.
TB has done this for over a decade now, I believe. And all the others before him.
***********
Don B,
Well let me start by saying look at the pardons of all those other
presidents, Republic included and you,,,,,,,,,never mind.
At what point do you think, in your tiny brain, that I don't think
Frosty Rosty shouldn't be in jail.
To Don B;
Over and out.
Posted by: C.Morris | March 1, 2007 6:36 PM
C. Mo.,
The difference between you and other "lefties' on this blog and Bush apologist, Don B, is that Donny is so enraptured with the workings of the GOP (Grand Old Pedophiles), that he can't see through the partisan haze. He still thinks Bush is blameless for Katrina, for crying out loud.
Posted by: dt | March 1, 2007 9:42 PM
This is undoubtedly the most corrupt Congress in history.
Posted by: Michael Spurlock | March 2, 2007 12:02 AM
He still thinks Bush is blameless for Katrina,
by: dt | Mar 1, 2007 9:42:46 PM
Actually he is blamless for Katrina, it was a category 5 hurricane,
or do you think he whipped it up in his backyard in Crawford, Tx. and then brought it to Cuba and put a huge box fan behind it ?
I will concede that he flew the airplanes into the towers on 9/11, and he hypnotized 80% of congress for war autherization, I also
think he had something with Al Gores' inordinate amount of electrical use at his mansion. He may of spinned the meters forward.
Posted by: Don B | March 2, 2007 6:42 PM