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Rep. Jefferson Alleges DOJ Sought White Jury in Corruption Case

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September 07, 2007 7:30 PM

ABC News' Jason Ryan and Theresa Cook Report:  Lawyers for Rep. William Jefferson filed 15 court motions Friday, asking that numerous charges against the Louisiana Democrat be dismissed and his corruption case moved to Washington, D.C.

The filings by Jefferson's attorney, Robert Trout, allege that federal prosecutors chose to bring the case in the Eastern District of Virginia, in Alexandria, to manipulate the jury pool by including fewer blacks.

The Associated Press reports that U.S. Census statistics highlight the differences in racial makeup of the two different districts.  Jury pools in the Eastern District of Virginia, where Jefferson is charged, are selected from the area's 2 million residents – 11 percent of whom are black.  In contrast, 57 percent of Washington, D.C.'s 515,000 residents are black.

In one of the court filings Jefferson's lawyers asserted, "The circumstances here present a prima facie case that venue was selected in the Eastern District of Virginia in order to obtain a jury pool with fewer African Americans. Such purposeful discrimination would be a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and unless the prima facie case is somehow rebutted by the government, Mr. Jefferson respectfully submits that transfer of the case is required."

"In addition, even absent the circumstances demonstrating that venue selection was racially motivated, the interests of justice warrant transfer of this case to the District of Columbia," the brief continued.

In early June, Jefferson was charged in a 16 count indictment for racketeering, solicitation of bribes, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, violating the foreign corrupt practices act, and conspiracy. 

The indictment relates to an alleged bribery scheme to benefit him and his family and his bribing a Nigerian government official over various schemes including trying to steer telecommunications contracts to his business partners.

"I am absolutely innocent of the charges that have been leveled against me," Jefferson said after entering a not guilty plea June 8.  "I'm going to fight my heart out to clear my name."

The investigation into Jefferson was run by U.S. Attorneys office in Alexandria, which also investigated the head of a telecommunications company seeking to do business in Nigeria called iGate.

iGate CEO Vernon Jackson and Brett Pfeffer, a former aide to Jefferson, both pleaded guilty last year at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va.

With related guilty pleas already entered in Virginia, Jefferson's case for a change of venue could be more difficult to prove – but the lawmaker's attorneys are pushing for the change.

In the motions filed Friday, Jefferson's lawyers asserted, "The balance of the case should be transferred to the District of Columbia. It is apparent from all sixteen counts – those for which there is no permissible venue in Virginia... The overwhelming majority of the events took place in the District of Columbia, and one of the key events that did take place in Virginia was obviously orchestrated by the FBI for the purpose of securing venue in Virginia."

"DOJ repeatedly found it necessary to invoke the assistance of courts in other venues: it sought search warrants for Mr. Jefferson’s home, his automobile, and his office from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and for his home in New Orleans from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Apparently, the government identified no location in Virginia where Mr. Jefferson might do business or maintain any documents at all."

After allegedly accepting $100,000 in cash in a parking lot in Arlington, Va., FBI agents obtained search warrants to search Jefferson’s home and Congressional offices last year. FBI agents say they recovered $90,000 in cash from his home, which was stored in a coffee can in his freezer.

A footnote in one of the briefs filed Friday noted, "the agents were surprised to discover their marked funds in Mr. Jefferson’s Washington, D.C. residence."

In response to the filing Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd said, "We are reviewing the defendant’s motion and will respond in court at the appropriate time. 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."

September 7, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (8)

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When I look at Rep. Jefferson I see a Democrat who would make an awesome Attorney General for President Hillary Clinton because of his and her credibilty and honesty.

Posted by: Kenyatta Africa-Bey | Sep 7, 2007 8:21:44 PM

Is William Jefferson thinking that blacks are more likely to not see the crime in accepting $90k in bribe money and getting red handed with the cash or is he more likely thinking that they will mostly likely think they will help him get off the charges. Wouldn't that be sort of racist?

Posted by: TexBork | Sep 7, 2007 11:28:45 PM

That money was planted in my freezer by the vast rightwing conspiracy...Where's Johnny Cochran when I need him?

Posted by: Piker | Sep 8, 2007 4:02:35 AM

Any suprise he's another crooked democrat. That's it bubba, play the "race Card". Caught red-handed with the loot and you still lie through your teeth. If there's any left in you, stand up, be a man and admit your mistakes and go straight to jail. But, don't worry, once they get done with the "disgraced donor" the Clintons hired, Hillary will be joining you. Hillary and Bill seem to think the financial and political world revolves around them. I'm and independent but, I think I'll vote for one of the other candidates just for fun. Anything to help get these Clinton's out of politics. But as long as there are crooked deals to be made, the Clintons will be around the corner.

Posted by: Joe Nunyabis | Sep 8, 2007 5:47:17 AM

I forgot to add. His attorneys say the Virgina jury would be tainted and stacked against him and was a racial move on the part of the Feds. And, what do they call their request to have the case heard in D.C.? It's called reverse racism. His team of ambulance chasers knows that in D.C. he'll have the best chance of aquittal! Keep the case in Virginia, this crook needs to burn!

Posted by: Joe Nunyabis | Sep 8, 2007 6:39:02 AM

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!

Posted by: geddesman | Sep 8, 2007 4:32:11 PM

No surprise that our mainstream media, typically buries stories like this. How often do you see anything at all about this case? If Jefferson was a Republican you would see daily updates on the major networks (i.e. NBC, CBS - especially) and ABC, who are as biased to the left as it is possible to be.

Also, at least Republicans oust representatives indicted for crimes, Democrats reward those under indictment. Democrat Party = culture of corruption

Posted by: B.Samuel Davis | Sep 8, 2007 4:39:58 PM

watergate?what was that about!

Posted by: wunderwood | Sep 9, 2007 12:14:43 AM

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