All of this has happened with no charges filed, much less an indictment, and it appears Jefferson is likely to be reelected. This has to be the ultimate Nigerian Scam!

This trail may yet lead to Joe Wilson, Valarie Plame, and Bill Clinton all involved with trying to sell Nigerian yellow-cake to Iraq before the war.

Keep digging.

ANOTHER BLACK POLITICIAN CAUGHT WITH IS HANDS IN THE COOKIE JAR,NOT EVEN A SLAP ON THE WRIST. WHAT A SUPRISE!

As an American married to a Nigerian, I think this is horrible. There are a great many law abiding Nigerians living all over the world. Their reputations are being slandered because of a few criminals in their country. They love their country and long for it to return to a country with good economic growth and stability. I long for the day that the few corrupt leaders within the Nigerian Federal Government are exposed and removed from their post.

Apprently this has be happening for a long time and nothing is done to this people. They are so use to stealing from the poor that it not even funny and getting away with it. They will get a promotion soon and that's the end of it.The VP is coming to his mansion while the poor suffer that the way of the africa government what can you say.

Possibly the problem is proof, they need this VP or Jefferson to plead guilty and give investigators evidence to indict the other. So far both have claimed innocence. However if the VP is indicted in Nigeria then they may be able to get him to talk about the deal with Jefferson.

Way to go Jefferson.You've moved on to the big league.(And you didn't do it like George and Louise Jefferson-you did it like through organized criminal activity with the Nigerian Vice President, one the most Corrupt governments in the world.) Maybe the ticked off voters in your district will kick your sleazy,scummy sorry butt out of office. But since you're "represent" Louisiana,one of the most corrupt states in the US ,that probably won't happen.

There's no peace for the wicked. Those out there suffering because of your action and/or inaction, cry daily unto God. You can run to anywhere, but, the moment you feel all's well, to relax and enjoy your loot, death will come. Time shall tell!

Racism. This is pure racism, trying to stick it to the "Poor Blacks". Somehow, this is George Bush's fault. I cannot wait till Nancy Pelosi takes the house. this stuff will stop.

As a Nigerian-American who has made and continues to make significant contributions to the United States, both as a U.S. Army combat arms officer and a federal government attorney, it is disheartening when people of Nigerian provenance consistently have to defend themselves for the actions of Nigerian criminal elements. We Nigerians are not all fraudster! We are not any more fraudulent for being from Nigerian than all white men in the United States are for the crimes of white men in Wall Street stock market scandal. If the United States wants to help stem the corruption of Nigerian officials, then, pass a legistaltion that will give any Nigerian in the United States the right to seek the disclosure of assets of Nigerian officials in the United States. At the end of the day, some of those stolen money are in United States banks and nobody is doing anything about it, because that money is considered an influx of funds in our U.S. economy. We people of Nigerian decent pay heavily because of the stereotype and we are tired of it. Therefore, if this Congressman is part of the problem, I hope that those in our judicial branch will not pose an impediment to his prosecution, if indicted.

One-American needs to take some reading and geography and also take off his hate Clinton blinders. Niger was part of the yellow cake lie. It is a separate country and not connected to Nigeria

Interesting read - I did several posts on this awhile back and was wondering when this story would hit the Western (U.S.) media again.

You people are surprised?? A black politician from Louisiana can do no wrong! To even imply wrongdoing makes you a racist biggot.

No, being a racist bigot makes a person a racist bigot.

I too,am a hard working person of Nigerian-American descent.I too,am tired of everything Nigerian being painted black by the media.I have never even had a traffic violation ticket in my more than 10 years in this country.I also know many of my nigerian friends that share these same values.
Yet,I have to constantly fight the Nigerian negative image.

Enough is Enough!

It is unfair!

It's shamefull that Jefferson still denies wrong doing in the face of such overwhelming and damning evidence. I've totally lost it with these rats. Excellent piece Mr. Ross!!!

I am a Nigerian, in Nigeria, and you guys miss the point entirely.
This is a scam but not the way you think.
The first scammer is Jefferson - he brokered a deal to sell iGate highspeed internet wireless technology to a Nigerian, pocketed the $6.5million from the Nigerian but refused to refund when the deal fell through. In an attempt to rescue the deal, he told his iGate partners that he needed $100,000 to bribe a high government official, collected the money, said he had delivered, only for the FBI to find the loot in his freezer at home.
The Nigerian who was gyped of his $6.5million wrote a petition against Jefferson to President Obasanjo. Jefferson's response was that the Nigerian is a friend of VP Atiku Abubakar and may have borrowed the funds sent to the US from a bank where a govt agency placed funds with the authority of the VP. This was all that a vengeful President Obasanjo needed to unleash Nuhu Ribadu on his (President's) deputy. The President has been looking for a way to punish his deputy since the latter broke ranks and organised a massive and highly successful effort to thwart the President's effort to seek a third term in office.
Vice President Atiku's crime is that he placed idle government funds in a bank at commercial rates - and that two of his friends borrowed from the bank.
Unlike Jefferson who is being caught everytime with his hands in the cookie jar, no one has come out to say how Atiku Abubakar has corruptly enriched himself through the deal - because he has not. Nigerians are on top of the story, and it is not the official lies that Ribadu is passing here.

I am embarrassed and very angry. First up, the embarrassment is mine. I did not even catch the reference to Niger and Nigeria. I do know of course they are not the same country, but then I began to wonder. Do we still not teach geography, as was the case last time I checked, in our schools? That's embarrassing!

Second up: this affair with Congressman Jefferson is the lowest I believe our country has sunk in a criminal investigation in many a year. And we're so out of touch that, at least according to the post by John, that we're believing the lies being told re: the country's vice-president by Nigeria's president. Now, tell me, after six years of Bush, isn't it time to look at every piece of information we receive that involves an already proven-to-be-a-liar American politician with a more than jaundiced eye?

John, I will do further research into this new claim. Thank you for alerting me.

Jefferson will not win.

The Dems have stripped him of his committee seats and are backing his primary opponent, State Rep. Karen Carter.

He will lose in the runoff election.

Shouldn't we stop letting goverment officals, that we elected, trust and PAY, get away with even the smallest abuse of power, they should be held accountable to the highest standards whether they are dems or reps, white or black.