Jefferson Wants Bribery Case Moved To D.C.

Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-Louisiana, pictured), indicted on 16 federal bribery and other charges in June, said yesterday in court papers that he did nothing illegal and accused prosecutors of bringing the case against him in Virginia because there would be fewer black potential jurors than in majority-black Washington, D.C.

The indicted congressman faces charges that he used his official position to solicit hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes for himself and his family, falsely reported trips to Africa as official business, sought to bribe the former Nigerian vice president, and promoted U.S. financing for a sugar factory in Nigeria whose owner paid fees to a Jefferson family company in Louisiana. During a meeting with an informant wearing a recording device, Jefferson said that he would need $500,000 to give to Nigeria's then-vice president, Atiku Abubakar, to make sure a high-tech venture went through. The informant handed Jefferson $100,000 in FBI money. FBI agents later found $90,000 found in a freezer at Jefferson's home in D.C.

Jefferson's attorney said the congressman did not bribe the Nigerian vice president, did nothing illegal by getting involved in private business ventures, the government concocted a flimsy conspiracy charge because the statute of limitations was set to expire on several charges, and the FBI used a cooperating witness to steer the case to Virginia.

The motion prompted prosecutors to issue a statement yesterday saying that race had nothing to do with their charging decisions. "The indictment unsealed in June alleges facts supporting jurisdiction and venue in the Eastern District of Virginia. This venue is appropriate as we have indicated in public court filings and as represented by the guilty pleas of two alleged co-conspirators in the Eastern District of Virginia," said Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd.

The federal indictment is the first in which a U.S. official is charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars bribery of foreign officials. Jefferson's attorney argued in the motions that because the money never reached the vice president, no bribe of a foreign official took place. He also wrote that the bribery statute requires that a politician take something of value in exchange for an official act such as voting or authorizing appropriations.