Gov Watchdog Group Criticizes Court's Ruling on Historic Capitol Hill Raid

August 03, 2007 3:58 PM

Krista Kjellman Reports:

A government watchdog group criticized today's D.C. court ruling that the FBI violated the Constitution when it raided the Capitol Hill office of now indicted Congressman William Jefferson, D-La.

"This ruling may have a profound impact on the government's ability to thoroughly investigate other cases of congressional corruption," Melanie Sloan, executive director of the left-leaning, anti-corruption group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said.

While the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals maintains the search of a congressional office is constitutional, it ruled that in the case of Jefferson "the compelled disclosure of privileged material to the Executive during execution of the search warrant...violated the Speech or Debate Clause [of the Constitution] and that the Congressman is entitled to the return of documents that the court determines to be privileged under the Clause."

The court did not order the return of non-privileged documents.

FBI agents raided the congressional office of Rep. Jefferson in May of 2006 after lawyers for the House of Representatives refused to turn over copies of documents and computer files being sought in the bribery investigation of Jefferson.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

At the time, Jefferson's lawyer called the FBI's raid "outrageous."

Jefferson has since been indicted on 16 charges, including racketeering, solicitation of bribes, money laundering and obstruction of justice. The Justice Department's case against Jefferson does not rely on any of the documents and files seized during the Capitol Hill raid.

Jefferson pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial in January. If convicted on all charges, he could face 235 years in prison.

The Department of Justice said today they are "pleased" that the search of a congressional office was not deemed unconstitutional but are "disappointed" congressmen need to be given "advance notice" of those searches.

"We are disappointed with the ruling that requires that a member of Congress be provided advance notice and the right to review materials before the execution of a search warrant," the FBI said in a statement.

CREW also took issue with congressmen being given advance notice.

"Sen. Ted Stevens now has every incentive to store in his congressional office any document concerning the renovations of his house, secure in the knowledge that it will be beyond the reach of federal investigators," Sloan said, referring to the Alaskan senator whose home was raided by federal investigators earlier this week, as reported by the Blotter.

Sen. Stevens declined to comment on the FBI raid on his house, other than to urge his constituents in a statement issued earlier this week "not to form conclusions based upon incomplete and sometimes incorrect reports in the media."

Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?

August 3, 2007 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (10)

House Democrats Keep Jefferson Off Ways and Means

December 12, 2006 6:21 PM

Avni Patel Reports:

House Democrats announced today that recently re-elected Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) would not regain his seat on the influential Ways and Means Committee.

Jefferson's re-election poses a major dilemma for House Democratic leaders as they try to make good on their promise to make the next Congress the "most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history," say groups calling for ethics reform.

"Nancy Pelosi has said that this is going to be the cleanest Congress ever, and Jefferson has got to be the dirtiest congressman out there," says Melanie Sloan, executive director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, D.C. "It's a big dilemma for them."

Jefferson won re-election in a runoff on Saturday, despite being at the center of a federal bribery investigation. He has not been indicted and has strongly denied allegations of wrongdoing. 

In court papers, FBI agents say Jefferson was videotaped accepting marked money supposedly to pay a bribe to a Nigerian official. The FBI says $90,000 in marked money was found in Jefferson's freezer during a raid.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

"Obviously you have to weigh very carefully the wishes of the constituents who have chosen to re-elect this guy," says Meredith McGehee, policy director at the Campaign Legal Center. "At the same time, you have two figures who've pleaded guilty to bribing him."

Yesterday, a spokesman for Pelosi brushed aside the suggestion that the Jefferson case presented any sort of quandary for Democrats, saying the Democrats acted quickly removing Jefferson from the Ways and Means Committee in June after court documents first made public allegations that Jefferson had been caught on tape.

Congressional aides say that it is still possible that Jefferson will receive another committee assignment later this week.

Further complicating the Democrats' dilemma is the question of whether Jefferson should be treated differently than Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, another Democratic congressman facing an FBI probe.

The FBI is investigating whether Mollohan financially benefited from steering millions in federal funds to non-profit groups connected to him.  Mollohan has kept his seat on the House Appropriations Committee and is now in line to become the chairman of the subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department budget.  Mollohan has denied the allegations and has not been charged with a crime.

"What is the standard?" asks Sloan. "Are you going to lose your committee assignment because you're under investigation or only when you're on tape soliciting a bribe?"

Reform advocates would also like to see Democrats support a complete overhaul of the "peer-reviewed" system for investigating members. "The current ethics process is a total sham," says McGehee. 

December 12, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (5)

Will Democrats Get Tough With One of Their Own?

December 11, 2006 4:54 PM

Avni Patel Reports:

The re-election of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) poses a major dilemma for House Democratic leaders as they try to make good on their promise to make the next Congress the "most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history," say groups calling for ethics reform.

"Nancy Pelosi has said that this is going to be the cleanest Congress ever, and Jefferson has got to be the dirtiest congressman out there," says Melanie Sloan, executive director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, D.C. "It's a big dilemma for them."

Jefferson won re-election in a runoff on Saturday, despite being at the center of a federal bribery investigation. He has not been indicted and has strongly denied allegations of wrongdoing. 

In court papers, FBI agents say Jefferson was videotaped accepting marked money supposedly to pay a bribe to a Nigerian official.  The FBI says $90,000 in marked money was found in Jefferson's freezer during a raid.

"Obviously you have to weigh very carefully the wishes of the constituents who have chosen to re-elect this guy," says Meredith McGehee, policy director at the Campaign Legal Center. "At the same time, you have two figures who've pleaded guilty to bribing him."

Brendan Daly, spokesman for Pelosi, brushed aside the suggestion that the Jefferson case presented any sort of quandary for Democrats. "We have taken action," said Daly, pointing to the Democrats' move in June to vote Jefferson off the Ways and Means Committee after court documents first made public allegations that Jefferson had been caught on tape.

Congressional aides say that while it is unlikely that Jefferson would regain his post on the Ways and Mean Committee, other assignments could be made when the House steering committee meets later in the week.

Further complicating the Democrats' dilemma is the question of whether Jefferson should be treated differently than Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, another Democratic congressman facing an FBI probe.

The FBI is investigating whether Mollohan financially benefited from steering millions in federal funds to non-profit groups connected to him.  Mollohan has kept his seat on the House Appropriations Committee and is now in line to become the chairman of the subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department budget.  Mollohan has denied the allegations and has not been charged with a crime.

"What is the standard?" asks Sloan. "Are you going to lose your committee assignment because you're under investigation or only when you're on tape soliciting a bribe?"

Reform advocates would also like to see Democrats support a complete overhaul of the "peer-reviewed" system for investigating members. "The current ethics process is a total sham," says McGehee. 

December 11, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (9)

Cold Cash Congressman Says He Has 'Never Taken a Bribe' in New Campaign Ad

December 01, 2006 11:50 AM

Avni Patel Reports:

Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson (D-La.) has taken to the airwaves to unequivocally deny the allegations that have plagued him for months. "I have never taken a bribe from anyone,"  he asserts in a new campaign ad.

Jefferson is running for re-election despite being at the center of a federal bribery investigation. He faces a run-off against fellow Democrat State Rep. Karen Carter on Dec. 9.

Carter has seized on the probe in her campaign against Jefferson, and recently ran an ad quoting a Washington Post article that said the FBI had caught Jefferson accepting a bribe on videotape. In this latest ad, Jefferson responds by saying that Carter's "newspaper source got the facts wrong."

A search warrant issued in May alleged that Jefferson had accepted $100,000 in cash from an FBI informant on behalf of a high-ranking foreign government official in exchange for help with securing a telecommunications contract in Africa. The affidavit states that Jefferson's handling of the briefcase containing the cash was "videotaped by the FBI from several vantage points." Most of the cash was later found in a freezer in Jefferson's house.

Jefferson has not yet been charged with a crime. Two of his associates pled guilty to bribery-related charges earlier in the year.

December 1, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (24)

Congressman "Cool Cash" Jefferson Scores Big at the Polls, Faces Runoff Election

November 08, 2006 11:50 AM

Anna Schecter Reports:

Despite being at the center of a FBI bribery investigation, Congressman William Jefferson (D-La.) won the most votes in the race for his seat in Congress and will now face a runoff election on Dec. 9.

Jefferson won 30 percent of the vote with a total of 27,706 votes, according to the unofficial results posted by the Louisiana Secretary of State.   

Jefferson vowed to run for re-election despite the FBI investigation.

In August of last year, $90,000 of marked FBI cash was found in Jefferson's freezer, money that the FBI says was the first installment of a $500,000 bribe to the vice president of Nigeria to help further a business deal.

Jefferson has not been charged with a crime and has maintained that he is innocent. "I never intended to dishonor my office...and I certainly did not sell my office," Jefferson said in a campaign appearance.

Facing Jefferson in the runoff will be State Rep. Karen Carter (D-La.) who won 22 percent of the vote with a total of 19,972 votes.

November 8, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (35)

Congressman Jefferson Probe Leads to Crisis in Nigerian Government

November 03, 2006 12:56 PM

Brian Ross and Joseph Rhee Report:

Nigerian officials say the bribery investigation of Congressman William Jefferson (D-La.) has uncovered a massive corruption scheme involving several members at the highest levels of the Nigerian government. 

Acting on information provided by the FBI, Nigerian fraud investigators have now indicted Vice President Atiku Abubakar on 14 counts of corruption, involving tens of millions of dollars allegedly diverted from government accounts.

According to Nuhu Ribadu, head of a new anti-corruption squad created by Nigeria's president, $23 million of the diverted money is still missing.  Ribadu said $6.7 million of the missing funds has been traced to a U.S. company tied to Congressman Jefferson's family.

Ribadu said, "He, as a congressman of the U.S.A., he used that position to initiate and transact business in Nigeria, and as a result of it, money was taken out from the government of Nigeria, and that money was lost."

During the case, Nigerian investigators discovered that their vice president was living part of the year in a $2 million mansion outside Washington, D.C., purchased in the name of his fourth wife, an American. It was here in July of 2005, investigators say, that Jefferson met with Vice President Abubakar to allegedly discuss steering a Nigerian telecommunications contract to the U.S. firm.  According to the FBI, at that meeting Abubakar demanded up to half of the future profits in the deal in exchange for his assistance.

In August, $90 thousand of marked FBI cash was found in Jefferson's freezer, money that the FBI says was the first installment of a $500,000 bribe to the Nigerian vice president to help further the business deal.

Jefferson has not yet been charged with a crime and is running for re-election. Maintaining that he is innocent, Jefferson said, "I never intended to dishonor my office...and I certainly did not sell my office."

In an interview with ABC News, Vice President Abubakar denied any wrongdoing, saying, "The allegations against me have no substance because it cannot be proved."  He said he neither asked for nor received a kickback or a bribe and said that Jefferson was using his name to defraud American investors. According to Abubakar, "He betrayed my trust, and he betrayed the trust of my country."

Several other top Nigerian officials, including a state governor, have also been implicated in the scheme to divert government funds, triggering a political crisis in Parliament. Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo was forced to go on television to declare a state of emergency after the indicted governor apparently fled the country.

November 3, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (23)

Cold Cash Congressman to Lead Katrina Tours

August 22, 2006 6:40 PM

Jake Tapper Reports:

The Louisiana Democratic Congressman caught on FBI surveillance tapes taking $90,000 in cash has been selected by the Democratic Congressional caucus to lead a delegation from Capitol Hill on a tour of New Orleans next week to "join in prayer with the people of the region, to reflect and remember." 

Jefferson has denied any wrongdoing in a case that sparked controversy when the FBI searched his Capitol Hill offices.  The cash was discovered in a freezer in Jefferson's home.

"To pick somebody who's clearly having problems is insensitive," says Ken Boehm, Chairman of the National Legal Policy Center, a political ethics watchdog group, "I suppose if Representative Cunningham could get out of federal prison, they could have him lead the tour." 

Ironically, Katrina victims will likely remember a previous Jefferson tour of New Orleans when he commandeered a National Guard escort to check on his own home and save his belongings while residents clung to rooftops awaiting rescue, as first reported by ABC News National Correspondent Jake Tapper. 

Several days after the storm hit, Jefferson asked the National Guard to take him on a tour of the flooded portions of his congressional district. A five ton military truck and a half dozen military police were dispatched. National Guardsmen later told ABC News that Jefferson asked the truck to take him to his home on Marengo Street in an affluent uptown neighborhood. Water was up to the 3rd step, and the vehicle pulled up onto Jefferson's front lawn so he wouldn't have to walk in the water. Jefferson spent about an hour inside the house while soldiers waited outside.

Jefferson defended the expedition, saying he set out to see how residents were coping at the Superdome and in his neighborhood district. He also insisted that he did not ask the National Guard to transport him but that they did so of their own accord for "safety" reasons.

"The classic saying is, 'Congressmen live in a bubble,' and...in this case, it's true," says Boehm. "They don't interact with the public enough to have a real sense of about how the public feels about these types of corruption charges."

You can read Jake Tapper's blog on ABCNews.com. 

ABC News' Rusty Lutz and Rhonda Schwartz contributed to this story.

August 22, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (4)

Congressman Jefferson Brings in Heavy Hitter PR Pro

July 13, 2006 9:47 AM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

Troubled Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) has hired former Monica Lewinsky spokesperson Judy Smith. The Congressman faces an uphill public relations battle as he is the subject of a corruption probe by the FBI.

Uphill battles are Smith's specialty. Crisis management in Washington, D.C. is big business, and Smith specializes in turning the political catastrophes of others into her own professional opportunities.

Known best as the woman who spoke for Monica Lewinsky, Smith also handled communication services for Saudi Arabia post-9/11 after the kingdom was accused of being a breeding ground for terrorists. As White House deputy press secretary in the early 1990s, Smith handled the accusations of sexual harassment made by Anita Hill after Clarence Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court.

Smith will have her work cut out for her on her next gig. Despite the fact that two of his associates have pled guilty to bribery-related charges, Jefferson has maintained his innocence and has said he will not resign. The Congressman has not been charged.

Officially, Smith will be the liaison between the media and Jefferson's legal team, led by attorney Robert Trout. As one of her first acts of business, she released a statement earlier this week saying the congressman's defense team will appeal the district court's ruling upholding the FBI's search of the congressman's office.

July 13, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (5)

Jefferson Corruption Case "Back on Track"

July 10, 2006 5:16 PM

Jason Ryan Reports:

FBI officials say their investigation of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) can get "back on track" with a ruling by Judge Thomas Hogan denying a motion by Jefferson and the House of Representative's Counsel to return documents the FBI seized from Jefferson's office on May 20 and 21. 

Justice Department officials say they had originally hoped to indict Jefferson by June 30 so that the "political situation" in Jefferson's home district could "right itself" before the November election.  Officials say if the documents are now available to them, an indictment is likely sometime this summer.

The House Counsel and Jefferson's own counsel claimed that the Speech and Debate Clause had been violated by the FBI and Justice Department in their ongoing bribery investigation of Jefferson for attempting to influence deals for telecommunications companies in Africa.

In his opinion Judge Hogan wrote, "The Court has found that the search executed on Congressman Jefferson's congressional office was constitutional, as it did not trigger the Speech or Debate Clause privilege, did not offend the principle of the separation of powers, and was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. Accordingly, the Court will deny the motion for return of property."

Hogan noted that a "filter team" of FBI agents reviewed the seized materials for any legislative activities. This filter team was comprised of agents walled off from FBI agents working with prosecutors in the investigation. "Accordingly, the Court finds that the search did not impermissibly interfere with Congressman Jefferson's legislative activities," Hogan wrote in his opinion.

The opinion also notes, "Congress' capacity to function effectively is not threatened by permitting congressional offices to be searched pursuant to validly issued search warrants, which are only available in relation to criminal investigations, are subject to the rigors of the Fourth Amendment, and require prior approval by the neutral third branch of government."

President Bush had ordered that the documents be placed under seal and held in the Solicitor General's office for 45 days while the case was being reviewed. That deadline passed yesterday.

Judge Hogan was the Judge that signed the Jefferson search warrant back in May. Last month a senior DOJ official told ABC News that should not be a conflict since judges are objective and will consider all facts and the law.

Read Judge Hogan's complete opinion.

July 10, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (2)

Undercover FBI Agent Drove Rep. Jefferson to Nigerian Vice President's House

June 07, 2006 10:17 AM

Jason Ryan Reports:

More documents have been unsealed in the Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) investigation. An affidavit in support of a search warrant to search the Nigerian Vice President's house in Potomac, Maryland shows that the FBI was more closely involved in the Jefferson case than just the use of a confidential informant in the investigation.

Deep in the document the affidavit discloses that the FBI used an undercover agent to drive Rep. Jefferson and Mody to the home of the Nigerian Vice President on July 18, 2005. The affidavit states, "The FBI special agent who drove Jefferson and CW to the home of the wife of the Nigerian Vice President on July 18, 2005 has reported that he observed a surveillance camera located on the premises located at 9731 Sorrel Ave. Potomac Maryland."

The affidavit alleges that former Jefferson aide Brett Pfeffer asked Rep. Jefferson to suggest investments for his boss, Lori Mody, and lays out numerous contacts between the three of them and their apparent attempts to steer business deals with the influence of the Nigerian Vice President. 

Days after visiting the house of the Nigerian Vice President later on July 30, 2005 Jefferson allegedly accepted $100,000 from Mody.  On August 3, the FBI executed search warrants on his house and at the Nigerian Vice President's house. During the August 3 search, federal investigators found $90,000 in cash in the freezer at Jefferson's Washington home.

According to the affidavit, in an August 1 conversation between Mody and Jefferson, Rep. Jefferson makes reference to giving the Nigerian Vice President "African art." The FBI agent who wrote the affidavit believes that phrase was a code word for cold hard cash: "Jefferson went on to say he had given 'this art thing' to the Vice President on Saturday at midnight (July 30/31, 2005) [Confidential Witness] has not given Jefferson African Art to be delivered to the Vice President. I believe when referring to 'African Art' or 'art' Jefferson is referring in cryptic fashion to the $100,000 cash he received from CW on July 20, 2005 with the understanding that he would deliver it to the Nigerian Vice President.

Mody is identified in the affidavit as the confidential witness that originally tipped off the FBI because the deal with Jefferson was going sour. Jefferson introduced Pfeffer to officers and executives at iGate which planned to enter the African telecommunications business in Nigeria and other countries. 

Pfeffer pleaded guilty to bribing public officials early this year and was sentenced to eight years in prison late last month. Much of the other background and investigative allegations in the affidavit seem to be similar.

The warrant for the Nigerian Vice President's house search seeks cash at the house in $100 dollar denominations or greater, a new reddish briefcase and records relating to iGate, Rosecom.net, NDTV and other companies that Jefferson has been alleged to be connected to. It also seeks security camera footage recordings from the house.

According to court documents, the search sought records relating to communications from the Vice President of Nigeria H.E. Alhaji to Rep. William Jefferson from January 2001. The affidavit says the communications and correspondence relates to Jefferson "regarding the proposed business venture in Nigeria by business venture participants Rosecom.net…and iGate."

The warrant also seeks a June 21, 2005 letter to the Nigerian Vice President from Jefferson. The affidavit alleges that Jefferson was attempting to elicit payments for himself and sought to steer as much as $500,000 to Nigerian Vice President Alhaji. It is unclear if any money ever reached the Nigerian Vice President.

A copy of the search warrant return for the search of Jefferson's New Orleans home has also been unsealed by the court in New Orleans.

June 7, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (5)

Pelosi to Jefferson: Resign from Ways and Means

May 24, 2006 2:27 PM

Avni Patel Reports:

    

In a letter today, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, asked Congressman William J. Jefferson, D-LA, to immediately resign from the Ways and Means Committee. 

Jefferson promptly declined the request, stating that stepping down would unfairly punish his constituents. He called Pelosi's request discriminatory since "no other member of Congress currently under federal investigation has been asked to step down from a substantive, legislative committee assignment."

The FBI raided Jefferson's congressional offices on Saturday night, the first such raid on Capitol Hill in history.

Jefferson is under investigation for allegedly taking bribes in exchange for his help in securing a telecommunications contract in Africa.  According to court documents, Jefferson was caught on tape accepting $100,000 in cash from an FBI informant. The cash was later found in a freezer in Jefferson's house.

Federal officials tell ABCNews that they expect a formal indictment against Jefferson to be filed by July.

May 24, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (20)

Officials: Jefferson Charges by July

May 23, 2006 9:07 AM

Brian Ross Reports:

Federal officials tell ABC News they already "have enough evidence to arrest" Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) but will wait until a grand jury in Virginia returns a formal indictment. Charges are expected within four to six weeks on allegations Jefferson took bribes in exchange for his official help with a telecommunications contract in Africa.

Department of Justice officials are considering making public redacted portions of the search warrant application to deflect criticism of the FBI's unprecedented raid on Capitol Hill.

Republicans and Democrats Monday suggested the FBI raid violated the Separation of Powers doctrine of the U.S. Constitution.

Some of the redacted pages reportedly lay out the month-long sequence by which the FBI had sought to obtain documents and computer discs from Jefferson's office through the use of a grand jury subpoena.

Officials say the House of Representatives General Counsel made copies of the requested documents and discs several weeks ago but then refused to turn them over.

Officials said Judge Thomas Hogan himself suggested the FBI request a search warrant for the Capitol Hill office of the Congressman, which Hogan authorized last Thursday.

The FBI used a special "filter team" of agents not connected with the case to guarantee that  "politically sensitive" documents were not taken as evidence.

Congressman Jefferson has called the raid "outrageous" but declined to answer the question of whether he took bribes.

May 23, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (61)

Caught on Tape: Jefferson's Best

May 22, 2006 4:12 PM

Brian Ross Reports:

Here are some of Congressman William Jefferson's (D-LA) most amazing comments captured on the FBI's undercover microphones.

1. "I'm in the shadows, behind the curtain."  Click here to see this quote in the original affidavit.

2. "[He has] more deals going than the goddamn man in the moon. He's a very, well, the word might be corrupt." (describing a business associate) Click here to read this quote in the actual affidavit.

3. "All of these damn notes we're writing to each other as if we're talking, as if the FBI is watching."  (said to an associate wearing an FBI hidden recorder) Click here to see this quote in the original affidavit.

4. "I'm gonna get your deal out of the way ... and I probably won't last long after that. Click here to read this quote in the actual affidavit.

5. "I will give it a thousand per cent, as you might imagine. I'm going to try my best to deliver it for you and not disappoint you." Click here to see this quote in the original affidavit.

6. "Ah, I gave him the African art that you gave me and he was very pleased." (The FBI says African art was a code the Congressman used to describe a cash payoff.) Click here to read this quote in the actual affidavit.

Compiled from government documents by Patrick McGrath, Andrew Katz and Fiore Mastroianni.

May 22, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (13)

The Inside Story of FBI's Historic Raid on Capitol Hill

May 22, 2006 1:41 PM

Brian Ross Reports:

The FBI's raid on the office of Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) was the first such raid on Capitol Hill in history and came about only after lawyers for the House of Representatives refused to turn over the material the FBI sought, according to officials familiar with the case.

At the request of the FBI, the House General Counsel's office had secured copies of the documents and computer files being sought in the bribery investigation from Jefferson's office.

But officials say the House lawyers then refused to turn over the documents to the FBI.

The refusal by the House Counsel led the FBI to seek a search warrant from Judge Thomas Hogan to send agents into Jefferson's Rayburn Building office, room 2113, according to officials.

"Left with no other method, the government is proceeding in this fashion," states the search warrant application filed by FBI agent Timothy Thibault.

The warrant was issued by Judge Hogan last Thursday and instructed Capitol Hill police "to provide immediate access" to Jefferson's office.

FBI agents went into the building around 7:15 Saturday night. Officials say the agents used a special team "to minimize the likelihood that any potentially politically sensitive" items were removed.

In a statement today, Jefferson's lawyer called the FBI action "outrageous."

There was no immediate comment from the House General Counsel.

May 22, 2006 in William Jefferson | Permalink | User Comments (151)